- 


FRAGMENTS  IN  BASKETS 


He  sat,  his  head  upon  his  nerveless  hand,  and  mused 
on  failure.  —  p.  15. 


fragments 

in  Baskets 


BY 

MRS.  W.  BOYD  CARPENTER 


"Gather  up  the  fragments  that  remain,  that  nothing  be  lost  " 

JOHN  vi.  12 


NEW  YORK 

J.  SELWIN   TAIT   &   SONS 

31   EAST  lyxH  STREET 

1894 


COPYRIGHT,  1893,  BY 
J.  SELWIN  TAIT  &  SONS 


ROW  DIRECTORY 

ND  BOOKBINDING  COM 


CONTENTS 


PAGB 
THE    ANCHOR    OF   THE    SOUL     ......  9 


THE    BATTLE   OF  THE    BOOKS 


BE    STILL    AND    KNOW  " 


55 


THE  LIGHT  OF  LOVE      .......       75 

'  IN  WAYS  THAT  WE  KNOW  NOT  " 87 

ONLY  A  DROP  OF  WATER j  13 

FOR  THE  MASTER'S  USE. 121 

THE  SPARROW  AND  THE  CUCKOO'S  EGG  ....  147 

CHANCE  OR  DESIGN  ? 165 

THE  MESSENGERS  OF  LOVE 177 

NOW  WE  SEE  THROUGH  A  GLASS,  DARKLY     .        .        .  185 

WE  SHALL  ALL  BE  CHANGED          .        .  .        .  203 


222912£ 


PREFACE 

CONFUCIUS  said: 

"  Fishermen  use  baskets  to  catch  fish. 
When  they  have  caught  the  fish,  they  forget 
the  baskets.  Teachers  use  words  to  convey 
ideas.  When  they  have  caught  the  ideas,  they 
can  forget  the  words." 

In  words  of  fancy  I  have  tried  to  gather  some 
fragments  of  truth.  I  shall  not  care  if  the 
baskets  are  thrown  away,  if  only,  through  Hts 
help  who  bade  His  disciples  gather  the  fragments 
into  baskets,  some  truth  remains  to  make  strong 
the  heart  of  any. 

A.  M.  CARPENTER 

THE  PALACE,  RIFON, 

August  31,  1893. 


THE  ANCHOR  OF  THE  SOUL 


"  Butter  and  honey  shall  he  eat,  that  he  may 
know  to  refuse  the  evil,  and  choose  the  good." 


THE  ANCHOR  OF  THE  SOUL 

eaN  Angel  stood  before  God's 
throne,  waiting  the  commands 
of  the  Eternal.  He  was  young 
and  eager  and  fain  would  fly 
down  to  earth  and  be  busied  in  the  ser- 
vice of  his  Lord. 

"  Go,"  said  God,  "  fly  to  and  fro  among 
my  children,  mark  well  their  doings,  make 
a  note  of  all  that  is  bright  and  happy,  of 
all  deeds  of  kindness,  and  all  efforts  of 
good,  and  bring  me  back  a  record  of  it  all. 
See  only  what  is  good." 

And  the  Angel  hesitated  :  his  brow  was 
knit,  his  eyes  cast  down  and  his  wings  re- 
mained folded  before  his  face. 

Then  God  said  to  him  in  condescension, 
"  Why  doth  my  servant  hesitate  ?  Thou  art 


FRAGMENTS  IN  BASKETS 

not  pleased  ?  Is  not  thy  mission  a  happy 
one  ? " 

To  which  the  Angel  made  reply,  "  For- 
give me,  Lord,  but  I  would  fain  be  of  some 
use  to  poor  struggling  humanity,  let  me 
help  to  restore  the  stained  and  fallen,  to 
strengthen  the  weak,  to  remove  the 
blemishes  in  heart  and  life,  and  to  lift 
them  to  a  love  of  Thee." 

"  So  would  1  have  it,"  replied  the  Eter- 
nal. "  Thou  shalt  be  to  them  a  ministering 
spirit.  I  give  thee  power  to  enter  unseen 
each  home  and  to  shed  there  the  sunshine 
of  thy  presence :  but  I  charge  thee — look 
ever  on  the  sunny  side,  see  only  what  is 
good." 

And  still  the  Angel  moved  not. 

Then  once  again  in  patience  the  Al- 
mighty spoke  to  him.  "What  more 
would  my  servant  have  ?  There  is  a 
doubt  upon  thy  mind,  speak  that  I  may 
remove  it." 

Then  the  Angel  flung  himself  at  the  foot 
of  the  throne  and  craving  pardon  for  his 
boldness,  said  :  "  How  can  I  help  the  world 
if  I  see  only  good  in  it  ?  The  earth  is  full 


12 


THE  ANCHOR   OF   THE   SOUL 

of  sin  and  evil,  let  me  look  on  it  that  I  may 
cleanse  it." 

To  whom  the  Almighty,  "  Ye  know  not 
what  ye  ask  !  Are  ye  able  to  drink  of  the 
cup  that  I  drink  of,  or  to  see  with  mine 
eyes  and  live  ? " 

To  whom  the  Angel  made  reply,  "  I  am 
able  for  the  love  I  have  to  Thee  and  to  the 
world  whom  I  would  fain  serve  by  bringing 
it  unto  Thee.  Deny  me  not  this  gift,  touch 
but  mine  eyes  and  give  me  the  power  I 
crave.  I  shrink  not,  I  am  strong  in  my 
love  of  Thee.  Wherever  evil  fronts  me  I 
will  be  valiant  and  will  vanquish  it.  But 
if  I  see  it  not,  if  I  look  only  on  the  good, 
how  can  I  fight  and  overcome  ?  Therefore 
let  me  see  evil,  I  pray  Thee  !  " 

Then  spake  the  Eternal,  "  Ye  know  not 
what  ye  ask — but  be  it  so.  Go  forth,  thy 
wish  is  granted  and  thou  shalt  see  the 
spots  that  are  upon  the  human  breast." 

Whereat  the  Angel  unfolded  his  wings 
and  floated  joyfully  to  earth. 

Down  through  the  illimitable  blue  the 
Angel  floated,  down  to  the  murky  world, 

13 


FRAGMENTS  IN  BASKETS 

and  passing  unseen  among  the  haunts  of 
men  he  sought  to  commence  his  mission. 
The  smoke  hung  thick  and  dense  o'er  the 
town  as  a  sombre  pall,  the  air  was  chill 
with  winter  frost,  yet  the  hum  and  roar  of 
barter  and  of  traffic  stayed  not. 

The  Angel  lighted  on  a  roof-top  and 
paused  awhile  to  listen,  and  as  he  did  so 
his  eye  fell  upon  a  sheet  of  glass  let  into 
the  roof  for  light,  beneath  which  he  dis- 
cerned a  sculptor  at  his  work.  He  was 
modelling  in  the  plastic  clay  with  eager 
fingers,  in  haste  to  avail  himself  of  the  fast 
waning  light.  The  figure  that  he  wrought 
was  of  a  woman  stooping  o'er  a  child  whose 
stiff  and  clumsy  fingers  she  was  guiding  on 
the  harp  chords  with  a  smile  of  love  and  of 
encouragement.  He  called  her  "  Hope, 
the  Mother  of  Success,"  and  eagerly  he 
worked  as  one  who  seeks  to  fix  the  thoughts 
within  his  brain. 

And  as  the  Angel  gazed  upon  the  work, 
he  saw  it  was  not  good  ;  the  artist  in  his 
haste  to  teach  his  thought  was  careless  of 
the  form.  "  Here  must  I  speak,"  he  mur- 
mured, and  placing  himself  behind  the 
14 


THE   ANCHOR   OF  THE   SOUL 

worker  breathed  into  his  ear  the  suggestion 
that  the  maiden's  head  was  not  truly 
poised  upon  her  shoulders.  The  artist 
paused,  drew  back  a  step  or  two,  gazed  at 
his  work,  sprinkled  it  afresh  witji  moisture 
and  sought  to  pose  the  head  anew.  Again 
he  drew  aside,  but  still  the  Angel  whispered, 
"It  is  not  perfect  yet."  And  once  again 
he  sought  to  mend  his  skill,  but  ever  as  he 
wrought,  the  meaning  faded  from  the  group. 
The  head  gained  grace  and  finish,  but  the 
eyes  lost  meaning,  till  at  last,  vexed  and 
discouraged  that  the  forms  which  once 
were  instinct  with  life  should  now  be  but 
dead,  expressionless  clay,  he  flung  it  from 
him  in  a  heap  upon  the  studio  floor.  The 
light  had  faded  now,  the  hope  that  sped 
his  eager  fingers  was  gone  too,  and  in  the 
darkening  twilight  he  sat,  his  head  upon 
his  nerveless  hands  and  mused  on  failure. 

And  as  the  Angel  sped  upon  his  way  he 
murmured  to  himself,  "  'Tis  well,  I  have 
shown  him  the  weakness  of  his  work,  he  is 
saddened,  it  is  true,  but  he  will  recover, 
and  with  such  faults  he  never  could  have 
become  truly  great."  So  the  Angel  moved 

15 


onwards  but  somewhat  more  slowly,  and 
with  a  feeling  of  heaviness  about  his  wings. 

As  he  floated  onwards  over  the  town 
his  ear  was  caught  by  strains  of  music, 
and  pausing  on  his  way,  he  sought  to  dis- 
cover whence  they  came.  A  narrow  little 
street,  filled  with  houses  of  the  poorest 
description,  was  beneath  him,  and  in  much 
amazement  he  discerned  a  humble  garret 
as  the  source  whence  rose  the  sounds  which 
so  much  charmed  his  ear.  Sinking  lower, 
he  beheld  the  little  street  crowded  with 
listeners,  spell-rapt  by  the  music.  The 
children  ceased  their  noisy  play,  the  women 
dropped  their  wrangling  or  their  work,  the 
tired  toilers  with  their  grimy  hands  stayed 
their  gossip  as  they  drew  their  little  ones 
around  them,  and  sitting  upon  the  doorstep 
in  the  glow  of  evening  twilight  felt  their 
hearts  lifted  insensibly  into  peace  and  the 
thought  of  something  higher,  by  the  sweet 
pure  sounds  which  fell  from  the  musician's 
fingers. 

The  musician  at  his  instrument  played 
on,  a  glow  of  happy  rapture  on  his  face. 

Forgetful  of  his  poverty,  his  loneliness,  his 
16 


THE   ANCHOR   OF  THE   SOUL 

weakness,  his  fingers  wandered  o'er  the 
instrument  awakening  melody  divine  and 
lifting  his  own  heart  and  his  hearers'  nearer 
God. 

And  as  the  Angel  paused,  there  came  to 
his  remembrance  the  full-toned  harmonies 
of  heaven,  rich  with  myriad  voices,  and 
the  chords  of  many  harps.  "  This  melody 
is  sweet,"  he  mused,  "  but  wrongly  set,  the 
air  is  pleasing,  but  the  harmonies  are  poor. 
Here  will  I  work,  I  will  take  this  un- 
trained musician  and  pour  into  his  ear  the 
richer,  fuller  chords  of  the  celestial  choirs, 
so  shall  his  praise  be  fitting  and  his 
Maker  glorified." 

And  to  the  listeners'  ears  a  change  came 

O 

o'er  the  music,  the  sound  was  fuller,  the 
notes  fell  in  richer,  newer  combinations, 
but  with  a  hesitation  in  the  touch,  a  halt- 
ing in  the  air.  Gradually  the  sweetness  of 
the  melody  faded  and  failed,  the  ear 
strained  vainly  after  it  amid  the  clash  of 
chords,  the  spell  was  broken,  the  heart  no 
longer  felt  the  music's  thrall,  and  one  by 
one  the  listeners  turned  to  earth  again  and 
all  the  cares  and  toils  of  daily  life. 

B  17 


FRAGMENTS  IN  BASKETS 

And  still  the  Angel  flew  upon  his  mission, 
but  with  a  strange,  new  weight  upon  his 
wings.  Doubtless  this  was  due  to  the 
murky  air  in  which  he  moved ;  how  could 
he  expect  it  otherwise  ?  Surely  it  was 
only  reasonable  that  he  should  feel  some 
difference  between  the  bright  clear  air  of 
heaven  and  the  tainted  breath  of  earth. 
It  could  be  nothing  else,  he  would  not 
stay  to  think  of  it,  but  speed  upon  his 
mission  and  seek  new  fields  in  which  to 
exercise  the  gift  entrusted  to  him. 

A  door  stood  open  and  the  Angel  en- 
tered. "Here,"  thought  he,  "will  I 
pause  and  rest." 

It  was  a  newly  made  home,  a  bride  and 
bridegroom  recently  united  lived  there; 
they  were  all  in  all  to  one  another.  As 
they  sat  and  wove  their  happy  dreams  of 
the  future  the  Angel  listened.  He  was 
telling  her  of  the  great  things  he  hoped  to 
achieve,  whilst  she,  with  all  her  love  in  her 
eyes,  was  drinking  in  his  aspirations,  wrapt 
in  her  belief  of  him  and  her  joy  in  present 
happiness. 

But   as    the  Angel  listened,  he  caught 
18 


THE  ANCHOR   OF  THE   SOUL 

the  rin or   of  selfishness   in    the  husband's 

o 

tone,  he  marked  that  his  thoughts  were  not 
wholly  loyal  to  his  wife.  He  dwelt  too 
much  upon  himself,  upon  his  future,  upon 
what  he  meant  to  do,  and  already  her  share 
in  his  life  was  becoming  secondary,  her 
happiness  was  swallowed  up  in  his  ambition. 
Then  in  her  ear  the  Angel  whispered, 
"  Beware !  all  is  not  love  that  bears  its 
semblance.  Are  you  sure  that  you  are  the 
true  centre  of  his  thoughts?  Does  he  want 
you  for  yourself  or  for  the  help  it  gives 
him  in  his  career  to  enlarge  his  social 
horizon  through  a  well-ordered  home  ? " 

No  more  ;  and  yet  the  sweet  face  fell, 
the  eager  eves  relaxed,  and  the  form  that 

o  *> 

had  so  recently  breathed  forth  a  loving 
attention  now  sat  listless  by  his  side.  The 
husband  marked  the  change  and  a  shade  of 
disappointment  crossed  his  face. 

Whence  did  the  suggestion  come,  the 
unbidden  thought  arise  in  his  mind  ?  "  She 
is  not  wholly  with  you,  she  loves  you  but 
not  your  work,  beware  or  your  lives  will 
drift  apart." 

A  hush  fell  on  them — both  were  conscious 

19 


FRAGMENTS  IN  BASKETS 

of  a  cloud,  so  slight  as  to  be  but  the 
semblance  of  a  cloud,  as  when  on  a  summer's 
day  its  fleecy  down  passing  before  the  sun 
thrown  a  faint  and  fleeting  shadow  on  the 
earth  beneath.  So  faint,  so  fleeting,  it  had 
come  and  gone,  and  yet — both  were  con- 
scious of  a  change,  they  knew  not  what. 
The  Angel  felt  a  qualm,  he  could  not  be 
quite  sure  that  he  had  done  well.  He  left 
them  sadder  than  he  found  them,  but  then 
he  reflected,  it  is  for  their  good,  there  is 
no  other  way,  they  can  only  avoid  dangers 
by  being  aware  of  them,  and  I  was  charged 
to  help  the  erring,  can  I  not  do  so  best  by 
showing  them  the  pitfalls  in  their  path  ? 

And  so  he  winged  his  way  onward  bu 
still  less  vigorously.  His  pinions  drooped 
earthward ;  it  needed  an  ever-increasing 
effort  to  rise  above  the  ground,  and  heavily 
he  laboured  now,  all  spring  and  joy  of 
movement  gone.  "I  must  bestir  myself,"  he 
thought,  "I  must  fight  against  this  strange 
lethargy  and  do  my  Master's  bidding." 
Slowly  and  heavily  his  wings  flapped  to  and 
fro  scarcely  raising  him  from  the  earth. 
The  weight  grew  intolerable,  so  he  sought 
20 


THE  ANCHOR   OF  THE   SOUL 

to  move  along  the  by-ways,  far  from  the 
crowded  town  where  spires  and  steeples 
urged  a  higher  flight  than  was  needed  o'er 
the  fields  and  hedgerows  of  the  open 
country. 

As  he  sped  along  from  out  a  lonely  cot- 
tage  came  the  tired  voice  of  an  invalid 
bewailing  her  sad  lot. 

"  There's  work  for  me  here,"  he  thought, 
and  gladly  stayed  his  flight.  Within,  upon 
a  four-post  bed,  there  lay  a  pale  and  emaci- 
ated figure  covered  by  a  patch- work  quilt. 
Beside  her  a  young  woman,  whose  resem- 
blance to  the  face  upon  the  bed  betrayed 
the  relationship  of  mother  and  daughter. 
She  was  reading,  and  as  the  Angel  entered 
laid  down  her  book  and  rose  in  answer  to 
the  sick  one's  cry  to  smooth  anew  her  pillow, 
and  wet  the  parched  lips  with  some  cooling 
drink.  Her  touch  was  soft  arid  loving  but 
not  deft  and  prompt  as  of  one  trained  to 
tendance  on  the  sick ;  she  smoothed  the 
bed-clothes,  but  slowly  and  with  a  hesitating 
touch,  she  feared  to  shake  the  pillows,  yet 
the  sick  one  smiled  her  thanks  ere  she  dozed 
off  to  rest. 

21 


FRAGMENTS  IN  BASKETS 

The  Angel  watching,  saw  how  much 
more  comfort  could  be  given  to  the  invalid 
were  her  nurse  more  skilled,  and  whispered 
doubts  into  the  daughter's  mind  whether 
she  were  indeed  right  in  yielding  to  her 
mother's  strongly  expressed  wish  to  have 
only  her  own  near  her  rather  than  a 
more  skilful  stranger,  till  at  last  she  mur- 
mured to  herself,  "  How  I  wish  I  could 
be  trained  for  nursing."  At  this  the 
Angel  saw  his  opportunity  and  assuming, 
as  he  could,  the  form  *of  a  human  being, 
appeared  at  her  side.  "  I  heard  your 
wish,"  he  said,  "  and  it  can  be  granted;  you 
think  it  is  not  possible  because  you  cannot 
leave  your  mother.  I  will  stay  and  nurse 
her  in  your  stead.  You  shall  leave  me  here, 
and  when  you  have  learnt  all  you  wish,  you 
may  return  and  I  will  go." 

So  the  Angel  sat  by  the  bed-side.  The 
room  was  trim  and  darkened  for  the  night, 
the  medicine  given,  the  food  prepared,  the 
fevered  brow  bathed  with  soothing  lotion,  the 
bed-clothes  changed  to  cool  and  snowy  fresh- 
ness, and  all  was  done  with  a  touch  whicli 
hesitated  not  and  made  no  fault  and  yet — 

22 


THE  ANCHOR   OF  THE  SOUL 

the  sick  mother  in  the  half  unconsciousness 
of  her  delirium  felt  there  was  a  difference, 
she  could  not  tell  wherein  it  lay,  only  she 
missed  a  something  in  the  touch.  It  was 
not  what  she  gained  in  skill  and  comfort 
that  troubled  her,  it  was  a  loss,  a  loss  of 
something,  she  knew  not  what,  which 
seemed  to  pervade  the  whole.  So  she 
grew  more  restless  and  in  her  delirium  a 
certain  irritability  increased  upon  her,  and 
the  time  seemed  long,  for  she  missed  the 
soothing  touch  of  love. 

Anon  the  daughter  returned  trained  and 
skilled  in  all  the  duties  of  a  nurse  and 
confident  of  her  powers,  so  the  Angel 
prepared  to  fly  back  to  heaven.  But  now 
a  strange  thing  happened  to  him.  He  had 
been  sadly  troubled  to  find  that  the  weight 
of  his  wings  had  seriously  increased  each 
time  he  used  them,  but  now  they  refused  to 
bear  him  altogether,  they  could  not  raise 
him  a  foot  above  the  earth ;  in  vain  he 
struggled  and  strove,  he  could  not  rise.  In 
his  distress  it  occurred  to  him  that  he  had 
better  try  and  climb  the  mountain  hard  by. 
Of  course  it  could  not  be  his  wings  that  were 

2? 


at  fault,  it  must  be  the  heavy  murky  air  of 
these  dull  towns,  doubtless  when  he  reached 
the  free  pure  air  of  the  mountain  top  all 
would  be  well. 

So  he  toiled  heavily  onward,  and  was 
surprised  that  he  did  not  find  more  relief 
when  he  gained  the  summit,  for  it  was  still 
the  same,  hid  wings  refused  to  bear  him 
upward.  As  he  pondered  there,  two  Angels 
winging  their  flight  homewards  and  heaven- 
wards, stayed  to  ask  if  he  would  join  them. 
"  Ah,  I  cannot,"  he  cried.  I  fain  would 
come  but  I  cannot  move,"  and  in  com- 
passion they  soared  downward,  and  lifting 
him  strongly,  bore  him  back  with  them  to 
heaven. 

And  God  sat  upon  His  throne :  around 
Him  stood  His  ministers,  each  waiting  for 
his  call.  But  the  Angel  shrank  backward 
for  he  could  not  stand  upright,  and  in  the 
shining  company  of  heaven  his  wings  seemed 
foul  and  black. 

Then  said  to  him  the  Eternal;  " How  hast 
thou  sped  ?    What  hast  thou  wrought  for 
me?" 
24 


THE  ANCHOR   OF  THE   SOUL 

To  whom  the  Angel  made  reply,  "  I 
showed  a  sculptor  how  far  he  fell  short  of 
his  ideal,  I  taught  a  musician  how  faulty 
were  his  harmonies,  I  warned  a  bride  and 
bridegroom  that  their  hearts  were  not  true 
to  one  another,  I  showed  a  daughter  that 
her  mother  suffered  from  her  ignorance." 

"And  were  they  happier?  did  this 
knowledge  help  them  in  their  struggle  ?" 

"  Nay!  that  I  know  not,"  said  the  Angel. 
"My  part  was  to  show  the  evil  that  I 
found." 

"  Come,"  said  the  Almighty,  "  thou  shalt 
see  what  thou  hast  wrought,"  and  touching 
the  Angel's  eyes  He  bade  him  look  down- 
ward to  the  earth. 

And  first  he  sees  a  tiny  garret,  poor  and 
squalid,  in  it  sits  a  man  in  tattered  gar- 
ments working  with  soft  clay  which  he 
presses  into  a  mould.  From  out  of  it  he 
draws  piece  after  piece  exactly  alike.  They 
are  busts  of  a  great  man  of  the  day,  to  be 
sold  for  a  few  pence  to  supply  his  daily  food 
— and  as  he  works  he  sighs  and  murmurs, 
"I  hoped  once  I  might  have  been  an 
artist,  I  believe  I  had  it  in  me  but  distrust 

25 


FRAGMENTS  IN  BASKETS 

of  my  powers  beset  me,  and  I  lost  all  hope. 
Ah  me  I  Ah  me  !  "  And  as  the  Angel  wept 
some  tears  fell  upon  his  blackened  feathers 
and  where  they  fell  they  washed  away  the 
murky  hue  of  earth. 

And  once  again  he  looks.  It  is  a  cold 
and  windy  night,  the  rain  beats  pitilessly 
upon  a  man  in  rags  who  wanders  along  the 
dark  and  lonely  streets,  playing  on  his 
violin  and  eagerly  watching  for  the  welcome 
coin.  And  as  he  plays  the  strings  wail  forth 
an  air  which  to  the  listening  Angel  says, 
"  There  was  a  time  when  men  listened  to 
my  music,  and  I  hoped  that  one  day  I  could 
charm  them  with  my  melodies,  but  it  was 
too  hard  for  me,  I  lost  heart  and  now  have 
sunk  to  playing  in  the  streets,  I  cannot 
reach  perfection :  nevermore,  nevermore." 
And  the  Angel's  tears  fell  faster  as  he 
turned  his  face  away. 

And  yet  once  more  he  looks.  It  is  a  bril- 
liant house,  a  crowd  of  guests  are  gathered 
there  and  all  is  bright.  The  husband  and 
wife  are  there  and  smile  upon  the  great 
ones  assembled  under  their  roof,  but  as  the 

Angel  looks  he  marks  that  the  smile  is  but 
26 


THE  ANCHOR   OF  THE   SOUL 

upon  the  face  and  that  the  hearts  beneath 
are  cold  and  dead  to  one  another.  "  He  does 
not  care,  I  hoped  once  that  he  did,  but  that 
is  passed  and  now  I  amuse  myself,"  she  is 
saying,  arid  in  his  mind  there  runs  the 
thought,  "  It  is  as  I  feared,  she  never  truly 
cared  for  me,  I  was  a  fool  to  hope  it." 

And  folding  his  wings  the  Angel  turns 
away  as  bitter  tears  pour  from  his  eyes  and 
his  head  sinks  upon  his  breast.  He  can 
scarcely  lift  himself  as  he  is  bidden  once 
again  to  look. 

It  is  a  cottage  home,  he  knows  the  scene, 
he  has  looked  on  it  before.  A  sick  woman 
lies  upon  the  bed,  the  room  is  clean  and 
trim,  a  wholesome  order  prevails  everywhere' 
the  invalid  is  tended  and  turned  with  the 
utmost  skill  and  yet  her  restlessness  in- 
creases. From  side  to  side  she  turns, 
throwing  the  bed-clothes  from  her.  In  vain 
the  daughter  Reeks  to  cool  her  brow  with 
soothing  lotion,  in  her  delirium  she  ceases 
not  to  cry,  "My  daughter,  oh,  my  daughter, 
where  is  my  daughter?"  And  the 
daughter's  breast  is  rent  with  anguish,  as 
she  feels  how  powerless  is  skill  to  soothe 

27 


FRAGMENTS  IN  BASKETS 

the  heart,  and  realises  that  in  gaining 
the  knowledge  which  she  coveted,  she  yet 
has  lost,  for  the  tender  solicitude  of  love 
is  swallowed  up  in  the  cold  confidence  of 
power,  and  it  cannot  satisfy  the  heart. 

Prone  upon  the  ground  now  lies  the 
Angel,  sobbing  silently.  A  voice  sounds  in 
his  ear,  he  has  heard  the  words  before,  "Are 
ye  indeed  able  to  drink  of  the  cup  that  I 
drink  of  and  live  ?  " 

"  Nay,  Lord,  it  is  too  bitter,  let  me  now 
die,"  bursts  from  his  lips. 

"Not  so,"  replied  the  Eternal,  "the 
burden  that  thou  soughtest  to  bear  is  in- 
deed too  heavy  for  thee.  Well  may  it  smite 
thee  to  the  earth,  but  rise  !  thy  tears  have 
washed  away  the  stains  of  earth.  Thou  hast 
learnt  thy  lesson.  Henceforth  look  ever  on 
the  sunny  side  of  life,  see  only  what  is  good. 
The  evil  is  too  hard  for  thee,  none  can  bear 
that  burden  save  Him  who  hung  upon  the 
tree.  Henceforth  cherish  the  good,  foster 
it,  fan  it,  so  shall  it  grow  to  full  flame  in 
every  human  heart  and  consume  the  bud- 
ding germs  of  ill.  Only  through  good  canst 
thou  overcome  evil,  therefore  give  unto  my 
28 


THE  ANCHOR   OF  THE   SOUL 

children  all  that  is  good  that  they  may 
learn  to  love  it ;  '  butter  and  honey  shall 
they  eat  that  they  may  refuse  the  evil  and 
choose  the  good.'  Remember  too,  that  evil 
is  fronted  best  by  hope.  Hope  only  makes 
endeavour  possible.  It  is  as  an  anchor  of  the 
soul  both  sure  and  stedfast,  for  hope  maketh 
not  ashamed.  With  the  light  of  Hope  upon 
them  my  children  will  learn  not  to  despair 
of  their  own  poor  and  feeble  efforts,  but  to 
make  of  their  dead  selves  a  stepping-stone 
to  nobler  things." 


THE  BATTLE  OF  THE  BOOKS 


"  Sorrow  is  knowledge  ;  they  who  know  the  most 
Must  mourn  thf.  deepest  o'er  the  fatal  truth  : 
The  tree  of  knowledge  is  not  that  of  life." 


THE  BATTLE  OF  THE  BOOKS 


sun  was  sinking  to  its  rest 
behind  the  trees,  and  as  it  fell 
some  lingering  beams  stole  into 
a  well-filled  library  and  lighted 
up  the  books  that  stood  upon  the  shelves. 
They  were  of  all  kinds  and  of  all  sizes, 
from  the  deepest  science  to  the  lightest 
fiction,  from  the  largest  folio  to  the 
smallest  pocket  edition.  Of  all  ages  and 
of  all  qualities  too,  for  some  had  been 
written  before  the  arb  of  printing  was 
discovered,  and  some  were  only  issued 
yesterday  ;  some  were  old  and  ragged, 
while  others  were  new  and  uncut.  There 
was  only  one  point  on  which  they  were 
alike;  one  peculiarity  which  they  all 
shared.  Every  one  of  them  had  on  his 
c  33 


FRAGMENTS  IN  BASKETS 

back  a  small  round  ticket  bearing  a  myste- 
rious number,  which  corresponded  with 
that  on  another  little  ticket  on  the  edge 
of  the  shelf  below  which  they  stood  ;  for  it 
was  a  lending  library,  and  as  each  book 
was  occasionally  sent  away  to  be  read,  it 
was  necessary  to  have  some  mark  to  indi- 
cate the  spot  where  it  should  stand  when 
it  was  returned. 

Throughout  the  day  there  was  some 
little  excitement  amongst  the  books.  Each 
one  hoped  that  his  turn  was  come  for  a 
change,  that  some  one  would  take  him 
from  the  shelf  and  read  the  secrets  he  was 
longing  to  impart ;  for  generally  the  room 
was  fairly  filled  with  readers,  and  the  libra- 
rian came  round  and  dusted  the  volumes, 
dipping  now  and  again  into  one  and 
another  as  he  did  so.  But  at  sunset  all 
was  quiet ;  for  the  present  their  fates  were 
sealed  ;  the  readers  had  all  departed,  the 
librarian  had  closed  and  locked  the  door, 
and  until  the  next  morning  they  were 
secure  from  any  change. 

"My  neighbour  is  out  again,"  began  a 
dull  green  book  ;  "  in  fact,  my  shelf  is  almost 
34 


THE  BATTLE   OF  THE  BOOKS 

empty.  I  never  knew  such  gad-abouts  as 
these  novels  are,  they  never  are  at  home. 
I  am  sometimes  tempted  to  wish  that  I 
were  a  novel,  and  then  I  should  not  be  left 
here  so  long." 

"  I  think  it  quite  contemptible,"  said 
ponderous  folio  from  the  shelf  below  that 
whereon  the  novels  stood  ;  "  they  come  and 
stand  here  in  front  of  me  time  after  time, 
and  no  one  thinks  of  taking  me  down,  while 
those  frivolous,  nonsensical  books  that  only 
deal  with  imaginary  persons  and  things 
get  all  the  attention.  If  they  would  only 
study  me  they  would  learn  some  facts  and 
opinions  worth  having,  for  I  am  much 
older  and  deal  with  much  more  important 
subjects.  I  arn  one  of  the  Fathers,"  added 
he,  proudly. 

"  You  need  not  be  so  very  proud  of 
yourself,"  said  a  stout,  short  volume  near, 
"  for  I  observe  that  the  few  people  who  do 
read  you,  cannot  get  on  without  my  assist- 
ance, and  often  take  me  down  to  see  what 
you  mean  by  your  crabbed  Latin  words. 
It  is  one  advantage  which  we  dictionaries 
possess ;  we  are  evidently  looked  up  to, 

35 


FRAGMENTS  IN  BASKETS 

and  are  often  consulted  ;  though  I  could 
wish  some  one  would  sometimes  take  us 
home  with  him  for  a  change,"  he  sighed. 

"  It  does  not  follow  that  those  of  us 
who  go  out  most  frequently  are  the  most 
valuable,"  said  another  large  folio,  who 
rejoiced  in  being  printed  on  vellum,  and 
gorgeously  bound  in  crimson  and  gold. 
"  You  will  notice  how  much  attention  I 
attract ;  nearly  every  one  who  comes  in 
takes  me  down  and  speaks  of  my  beautiful 
type,  and  then  the  librarian  shows  them 
the  inside  of  my  covers  and  tells  them  that 
I  was  bound  by  Herring." 

"  In  all  respect,  I  venture  to  differ  from 
you,"  said  a  sober  little  volume,  "  for  I  am 
not  beautiful  outwardly,  nor  was  I  bound 
by  any  one  in  particular,  and  yet  I  am  very 
valuable.  I  heard  a  gentleman  say  so.  I 
was  one  of  the  earliest  books  ever  printed 
some  hundreds  of  years  ago  ;  my  type  was 
carefully  prepared  by  an  artist  called 
Francia,  and  modelled  from  the  hand- 
writing of  Petrarch,  and  I  was  printed  by 
Aldus,  who  was  quite  an  artist  in  his 
work  ;  I  incline  to  the  opinion  that  we  are 
36 


THE  BATTLE   OF  THE  BOOKS 

valued  for  what  is  in  us,  and  not  for  our 
outside." 

"  It  may  be  so,  and  yet  that  won't 
account  for  my  being  of  value,"  chimed  in 
another  stout,  dull  volume.  "  1  heard 
some  one  say  that  I  was  worth  between 
two  and  three  hundred  pounds,  more  than 
all  the  novels  put  together,"  said  he  con- 
temptuously ;  "  yet  I  have  nothing  pecu- 
liar in  binding  or  type,  and  it  cannot  be 
for  what  is  inside  me,  for  he  also  said  that 
it  is  all  locked  up  in  a  language  which  no 
one  can  read,  for  every  one  who  used  to 
speak  it  is  now  dead.  I  think  I  must  be 
a  relation  of  those  large  thick  books  in 
Hebrew,  Greek,  and  Latin  which  stand  on 
the  shelves  opposite,  for  he  said  that  I, 
too,  was  a  Bible,  and  that  a  missionary 
had  written  me  in  this  language  for  the 
use  of  the  poor  Indians." 

"You  can  judge  how  they  value  me," 
said  an  open  missal  lying  under  a  glass 
case,  "  by  the  care  they  take  of  me.  I  am 
always  kept  locked  up  here,  and  never  a 
leaf  turned  over,  unless  some  one  wishes 
to  see  another  of  these  illuminated  letters. 

37 


FRAGMENTS  IX  BASKETS 

No  doubt  it  is  for  what  is  inside  us  that 
we  are  valued,  and  not  for  the  outside.  It 
cannot  be  for  either  binding  or  print,  for 
my  binding  is  gone,  and  I  never  was 
printed  at  all.  I  was  written  by  hand 
entirely,  by  some  old  monks,  long,  long 
ago.  Yes,  it  is  for  the  inside  they  value 
us,  and  I  am  the  most  valuable  of  all 
because  I  am  the  only  one  with  these 
lovely  colours  on  my  pages." 

"  Well,"  said  a  novel,  who  had  been 
quietly  listening  whilst  the  others  talked, 
"  I  don't  think  any  of  you  are  right,  and  I 
think  your  ideas  very  vulgar ;  you  judge 
everything  by  money,  you  think  yourselves 
of  value  because  some  one  would  give  a 
number  of  pieces  of  gold  for  you.  You  may 
despise  us  as  you  like,  but  we  are  not  so 
vulgar  as  that.  We  don't  pride  ourselves 
on  what  we  ai*e  worth ;  we  like  to  go  about 
giving  pleasure,  and  the  more  we  go  out 
the  more  we  feel  we  are  valued ;  just  the 
opposite  of  those  who  think  they  are 
prized  because  they  are  under  lock  and 
key,"  with  a  sneer  at  the  missal. 

"  Well,"  responded  the  dictionary,  "  I 
38 


THE  BATTLE  OF  THE  BOOKS 

am  used  the  most  frequently  of  you  all, 
and  yet  I  know  I  am  not  valuable ;  no  one 
would  give  any  gold  for  me,  I  am  only 
useful,  but  I  know  I  am  that  because  there 
are  so  many  copies  of  me  wanted.  I  have 
been  printed  over  and  over  again.  I  help 
people  to  understand  what  they  read  in 
other  books." 

"  If  you  reckon  by  the  number  of  times 
you  have  been  printed,"  said  Bunyan's 
Pilgrims  Progress,  "just  look  at  me  ;  there 
are  very  few  that  can  come  up  to  me." 

"  Except  me,"  said  a  De  Imitatione. 
"  I  believe  my  record  is  even  higher." 

Lying  on  the  table  in  the  middle  of  the 
room  was  a  small  shabby  book,  bound  in 
dull  dark  leather ;  it  was  lying  open,  and 
its  leaves  were  discoloured  with  use, 
plentifully  scored  with  lines  and  covered 
with  notes.  It  did  not  belong  to  the 
library,  it  was  a  Bible  left  by  one  of  the 
readers,  a  tall,  strong  young  man,  who  had 
brought  it  in  his  pocket,  and  it  was  with 
some  surprise  that  it  listened  to  the 
remarks  of  those  upon  the  shelves.  When 
the  dictionary  raised  its  plea  of  usefulness, 

39 


FRAGMENTS  IN  BASKETS 

it  gathered  its  courage  together  and  ven- 
tured to  make  a  remark. 

"  I  trust  you  will  forgive  a  stranger,"  it 
began,  "  for  joining  in  your  discussion.  I 
have  been  much  interested  in  what  has 
been  said,  and  though  I  do  not  belong  to 
this  library,  I  should  like  to  say  that  I 
think  the  dictionary  is  right,  and  that  use 
is  the  greatest  value  of  a  book." 

At  this  the  leaves  of  the  novels  fluttered 
joyfully,  for  who  went  out  so  often  as 
they  ? 

"  I  don't  know  how  you  will  prove  that," 
said  a  volume  who  had  not  spoken  hitherto. 
"  I  am  full  of  quite  as  much  information  as 
most  of  my  fellows,  and  such  helpful  in- 
formation too,  all  about  the  powers  of 
nature,  dynamics,  hydrostatics,  chemistry, 
optics,  and  all  sorts  of  useful  things,  and 
yet  I  am  very  little  used." 

"  And  I,"  said  another,  "  am  occupied 
with  human  nature,  anatomy,  physiology, 
health  and  disease.  What  can  they  want 
more  useful  than  that,  I  should  like  to 
know  ?  And  yet  it  is  one  in  a  hundred 

who  reads  me." 
40 


THE  BATTLE   OF  THE  BOOKS 

"And  no  wonder,"  broke  in  the  encyclo- 
paedia, "for  all  your  information  is  too  anti- 
quated. They  prefer  to  read  me,  for  I  give 
them  all  the  newest  fa.cts  ;  you  forget  that 
knowledge  progresses,  and  what  they  would 
learn  from  you  is  all  wrong  nowadays." 

Again  the  novels  rejoiced,  they  had  felt 
secretly  a  little  uneasy  at  their  youth,  but 
after  this  they  saw  that  youth,  not  age, 
was  an  advantage.  But  here  the  stranger 
was  able  to  join  in  once  more. 

"Yes,  you  are  right ;  newness  of  inform- 
ation is  one  cause  of  usefulness,  but  there 
are  some  truths  which  are  ever  old,  though 
ever  new,  so  it  is  not  that  solely.  Neither 
does  size  add  to  usefulness,  for  by  their 
own  confession  the  large  books  are  very 
little  used.  It  clearly  depends  on  the 
contents  ;  but  again  I  observe  that  it  is  not 
the  age  of  the  inside  that  makes  us  of 
service,  or  the  missal  would  be  consulted 
more  frequently ;  neither  does  the  beauty 
of  the  folio's  binding  attract  more  than 
a  passing  admiration.  No,  my  friends, 
it  is  not  the  age  of  our  print,  but  the 
eternal  truths  of  which  it  tells  ;  not  the 

41 


FRAGMENTS  IN  BASKETS 

beauty  of  our  binding,  but  of  the  thoughts 
which  it  encloses  ;  not  the  freshness  of  our 
information,  but  its  everlasting  truth  ;  not 
its  age,  but  its  never-ending  newness. 
You  must  excuse  my  saying,  that  of  all 
books  there  is  none  so  highly  valued  as  those 
of  my  family  ;  none  so  constantly  used  as  a 
Bible." 

"Oh!  oh!"  sneered  the  disappointed 
novels,  "  that's  a  fine  idea  !  Why,  there  is 
not  a  single  member  of  your  family  on  the 
shelves,  except  those  in  languages  which  no 
one  can  read ;  and  you  expect  us  to  believe 
that  you  are  more  prized  than  we  are,  who 
are  never  allowed  a  moment's  rest,  but  are 
wanted  here,  there,  and  everywhere." 

"  It  is  because  every  reader  has  one  of 
his  own  that  no  one  wants  to  borrow  a 
copy,"  replied  the  Bible.  "  More  copies  of 
me  are  distributed  every  year  than  of  the 
De  Imitations  and  the  Pilgrim's  Pro- 
gress put  together,  and  we  are  read  daily, 
whereas,  when  you  have  been  once  read, 
you  are  flung  on  one  side,  or  only  kept  to 
be  consulted  at  rare  intervals." 

"  Please   not    to    forget   that   you   owe 
42 


THE  BATTLE   OF  THE  BOOKS 

something  to  us,"  said  a  commentary  in  so 
many  volumes  that  it  entirely  filled  one 
shelf. 

"  I  am  not  very  sure  that  I  do,"  said  the 
Bible.  "  I  am  so  simply  written  that  the 
wayfaring  man,  though  a  fool,  shall  not  err 
in  understanding  me ;  those  who  search  me 
will  find  all  things  necessary  for  eternal 
life  without  your  help,  for  you  often  put 
darkness  for  light  in  your  attempts  to 
explain  what  is  quite  clear  already." 

"  But  nobody  does  search  you  nowadays," 
said  one  of  the  novels.  "  I  am  what  is 
called  a  theological  novel,  and  they  much 
prefer  to  read  me  ;  there  is  great  interest 
in  theology,  I  grant,  but  no  religion.  You 
are  much  too  direct  to  suit  the  modern 
taste ;  no  one  wants  religion,  only  just  a 
delicate  flavour  of  theology  in  their  read- 
ing, just  sufficient  to  quiet  the  conscience, 
and  make  them  feel  that  they  are  religious, 
without  giving  them  the  trouble  of  being 
so." 

"In  saying  that  you  remind  me  of 
another  argument  which  proves  my  value," 
said  the  Bible.  "It  may  be  that  I  am 

43 


FRAGMENTS  IN  BASKETS 

neglected  by  some,  but  anyway,  I  am 
written  about  and  wrangled  over  on  all 
sides,  and  but  for  me,  many  of  you  would 
never  have  had  any  being.  I  have  given 
rise  to  half  the  literature  of  the  world." 

"  Yes,"  laughed  one  of  the  latest  comers 
still  uncut,  "  you  are  so  full  of  blunders,  it 
needs  us  to  set  your  errors  straight.  You 
say  such  extraordinary  things,  and  talk  of 
science,  and  you  know  nothing  at  all  about 
it,  as  my  pages  will  soon  show." 

"And  your  facts  are  all  wrong,  too," 
said  a  history.  "  Any  one  who  reads  me 
will  soon  see  you  are  lull  of  mistakes." 

"  They  may  think  so,"  rejoined  the  Bible. 
"  As  for  me,  I  am  content  to  wait ;  many 
things  which  now  seem  contradictory  will 
one  day  become  clear ;  every  day  is  bring- 
ing something  to  light  which  shows  that 
others,  and  not  I,  have  made  the  mistakes. 
For  my  part,  I  am  not  anxious  about  those 
things,  as  it  is  not  my  purpose  to  teach 
science  or  history,  but  only  to  help  men  to 
lead  better  lives,  to  comfort  them  in  trouble, 
to  strengthen  them  in  weakness,  to  tell 
them  of  God,  and  lead  them  to  Him.  You 

44 


THE  BATTLE   OF  THE  BOOKS 

must  judge  me  by  my  purpose,  and  how  I 
accomplish  it." 

"A  queer  sort  of  one  you  are  to  teach 
men  the  truth,  when  you  are  so  wrong  your- 
self," scoffed  the  number  of  a  current  maga- 
zine which  lay  near  by  on  the  table.  "  I 
know  you  claim  a  sort  of  divine  authority 
for  all  you  say,  but  I  contain  an  article 
which  disposes  of  all  your  vaunted  inspira- 
tion ;  it  won't  do  to  boast  of  that  no\v, 
else  how  about  Jephtha  and  his  daughter, 
and  Jael  and  Si  sera  ?  Fine  sort  of  doings 
these  in  a  book  which  professes  to  teach 
morality ! " 

"  And  what  about  the  Flood  ?  "  said  an- 
other of  the  magazines.  "  And  the  Gadarene 
miracle  ? " 

"  If  you  cared  more  for  the  truth  of 
eternal  principles  than  for  the  fleeting  in- 
terest of  your  monthly  readers,"  said  the 
Bible,  "  you  would  remember  that  '  a  tree 
should  be  judged  by  its  fruits.'  My  fruit 
is  seen  in  the  lives  of  those  who  live  by  me, 
and  I  should  like  to  know  what  help  or 
comfort  it  is  to  any  one  to  speculate,  as 
you  do,  on  points  which  are  quite  secondary 

45 


to  my  purpose  of  helping  men  to  lead 
higher,  holier  lives." 

"  But  our  point  is  that  your  purpose  is 
vitiated  because  of  the  untrustworthy  na- 
ture of  your  contents,"  replied  a  work  just 
issued  from  the  press.  "  If  there's  a  mis- 
take here  and  an  interpolation  there,  and 
this  can  be  smoothed  over  and  that  ex- 
plained away,  how  about  the  credibility  of 
your  witness  1  If  one  part  is  wrong, .  why 
not  another  ?  And  what  is  there  left  that 
we  can  believe  ?  What  right  have  you  to 
put  yourself  on  a  pedestal  and  pretend  to 
pre-eminence  ? " 

"  I  am  quite  content,"  said  the  Bible, 
"  to  be  judged  as  to  my  literary  merits  in 
the  same  way  as  any  other  literary  work, 
and  quite  convinced  that  the  more  I  am 
examined  the  more  my  truth  will  be  vindi- 
cated. But  I  must  repeat  that  my  purpose 
is  an  ethical  one.  I  profess  to  teach  all 
things  necessary  to  salvation,  and  it  is  not 
necessary  to  salvation  to  know  whether 
the  earth  was  made  in  one  day  or  twenty 
thousand  years,  whether  the  Flood  covered 
a  single  country  or  the  whole  world, 
46 


THE  BATTLE   OF  THE  BOOKS 

whether  our  Lord  caused  the  pigs  to  fly 
violently  down  a  steep  place  into  the  deep 
or  only  took  advantage  of  a  coincidence  to 
quiet  the  mind  and  restore  the  confidence 
of  a  lunatic.  I  claim  to  be  judged  by  an 
ethical  standard ;  compare  me  with  the 
highest  of  all  other  books,  and  you  will  be 
obliged  to  admit  that  the  gap  in  spiritual 
elevation  which  separates  us  is  tremen- 
dous." 

"  It  seems  to  me  very  queer,"  grumbled 
a  work  on  the  exact  sciences,  "to  teach 
truth  by  means  of  untruth." 

"  The  untruth  has  yet  to  be  proved," 
mildly  suggested  the  Bible.  "As  time 
goes  on  you  will  find  that  each  new-comer 
amongst  you  confirms  some  fresh  point  of 
my  story.  Meanwhile  I  achieve  my  pur- 
pose. Long  before  most  of  you  came  into 
being,  I  was  read,  not  for  my  history  or  my 
science,  but  for  my  moral  and  spiritual 
teaching,  and  it  is  so  still ;  my  purpose 
remains  unaltered  by  anything  you  have 
said  or  can  say." 

The  novels,  who  had  been  feeling  rather 
left  out  in  the  cold  during  this  last  phase 

47 


FRAGMENTS  IN  BASKETS 

of  the  discussion,  now  joined  in,  to  advance 
a  new  claim  to  superiority. 

"  That  is  what  we  have  said  all  along  ; 
we  must  be  judged  by  what  we  accomplish. 
It  seems  to  us  that  half  of  you  are  written 
to  contradict  what  the  other  half  has  said ; 
now  we  don't  profess  to  deal  with  real 
people  or  real  events,  except  so  far  as  it 
suits  us  ;  we  have  a  purpose  :  we  are  an 
answer  to  the  wish — 

"  O,  wad  some  pow'r  the  glftie  gie  us 
To  see  oursels  as  others  see  us," 

and  so  T  think  we  may  claim  to  be  allies  of 
the  Bible." 

"In  so  far  as  you  show  men  themselves, 
and  teach  them  their  own  weaknesses,  we 
gladly  accept  your  aid,"  he  replied  ;  "  but 
it  is  to  be  lamented  that  many  among  you 
foro-et  to  show  them  that  weakness  is  too 

O 

often  wickedness." 

"  But  that  would  not  be  pleasant,  and 
our  object  is  to  please.  We  should  not  go 
out  half  so  often  if  we  delighted,  as  you 
seem  to  do,  in  making  men  miserable.  We 
spend  our  lives  in  cheering  men  and  help- 
48 


THE  BATTLE   OF  THE  BOOKS 

ing  them  to  forget  the  dark  side  of  life.  I 
was  up  all  last  night,"  said  a  stout  yellow- 
back, "  amusing  a  poor  young  fellow  who 
came  home  from  a  card  party  with  empty 
pockets.  A  cosy  arm-chair,  a  bright  fire,  a 
strong  glass  of  brandy-and-water  and  I, 
helped  to  drive  it  out  of  his  mind,  and 
when  he  went  to  bed  he  had  forgotten  all 
about  it." 

"  Yes,"  said  a  second  novel,  "  I  know 
that  young  man." 

"  And  I,  too,"  said  another.  "  Many  of 
us  have  spent  the  night  with  him  on  such 
occasions."  With  a  flutter  of  conscious 
pride  he  added,  "  I  think  we  can  fairly 
claim  to  have  a  purpose,  and  to  have 
accomplished  it,  too,  though  we  did  not 
make  him  miserable." 

"  Perhaps  it  would  have  been  better  if 
you  had,"  began  the  Bible ;  but  before 
another  word  could  be  said  the  books  were 
all  startled  by  the  familiar  sound  of  keys 
rattling  in  the  door;  it  was  flung  open,  and 
the  librarian  entered,  accompanied  by  a 
tall  young  man  with  a  strong,  firm  face, 
whom  they  recognised  as  having  spent 
D  49 


FRAGMENTS  IN  BASKETS 

some  hours  in  the  library  that  afternoon. 
He  stepped  eagerly  forward  to  the  table 
where  lay  the  open  Bible,  exclaiming, 

"  I  am  glad  to  find  rny  Bible  again  !  I 
would  rather  lose  all  I  possess  than  this 
one  book.  It  is  the  joy  arid  rejoicing  of  my 
heart,  and  worth  more  than  all  yours  put 
together,"  said  he,  turning  to  the  librarian. 

At  this  the  library  books  straightened 
themselves  and  drew  their  leaves  together 
in  disgust,  but  were  a  little  comforted  when 
the  librarian  replied  : 

"  Well,  it  ain't  much  to  look  at,  anyway, 
and  it  wouldn't  fetch  half  as  much  as  many 
a  one  on  these  shelves." 

"  Very  likely,"  said  the  young  man,  "  but 
for  all  that  I  would  not  part  with  it.  It  is 
endeared  to  me  by  many  memories.  This 
copy  belonged  to  my  father  ;  his  mother 
gave  it  him  long  years  ago,  when  he  was 
quite  a  little  boy,  and  after  his  death  it 
came  to  me." 

"  Oh,  if  that's  it,  I  can  understand  it, 
though  Bibles  are  cheap  as  dirt  nowadays," 
said  the  librarian. 

"  Say,  rather,  cheap  as  bread,"  suggested 
So 


THE  BATTLE   OF  THE  BOOKS 

the  young  man,  "  for,  like  bread,  they  are 
within  reach  of  every  one,  the  true  bread 
of  life,  the  only  words  that  can  feed  the 
spirit  of  man.  The  books  you  have  here 
may  inform  the  mind,  may  train  the  in- 
tellect, and  even  quicken  the  moral  sense, 
but  this  one  book  is  more  powerful  than 
them  all,  for  it  alone  can  inspire  men,  and 
give  them  a  sufficient  motive  to  rise  above 
themselves,  to  make  of  their  dead  selves  a 
stepping-stone  to  higher  things." 

"  You  may  well  say  that,"  admitted  the 
librarian  ;  "  we  had  one  here,  a  mere  wreck 
for  years  through  drink ;  a  clever  man, 
too ;  used  to  write  a  good  deal,  one  of  our 
most  regular  readers,  knew  half  the  books 
by  heart  as  you  may  say,  and  yet  he 
couldn't  give  up  the  drink.  He  got 
gradually  shabbier  and  shabbier,  his  walk 
more  shaky  and  his  nose  more  red  ;  then  I 
missed  him  for  some  weeks,  and  when  he 
ca.me  back  he  was  a  changed  man.  He  was 
still  shaky,  it  is  true,  and  not  altogether 
steady  on  his  pins,  but  there  was  a  different 
air  about  him,  a  sense  of  self-respect  which 
he  didn't  wear  before,  and  he's  gone  on  im- 


FRAGMENTS  IN  BASKETS 

proving  ever  since.  I  once  asked  him  if 
he'd  been  ill  that  time  when  he  was  away. 
*  Yes,  thank  God,'  he  replied,  and  seeing 
me  look  rather  surprised,  he  went  on  to 
explain,  '  I  shall  always  thank  God  for  that 
illness,  for  it  taught  me  to  know  and  love 
my  Bible  above  all  things.' " 

"  He  is  not  the  only  one  to  whom  that 
book  has  been  precious,"  said  the  young 
man  ;  "  few  men  had  a  harder  life  than  my 
dear  father,  yet  many  a  time  would  he  say 
that  his  Bible  was  better  to  him  than  thou- 
sands of  gold  and  silver,  and  that,  when  he 
had  very  little  of  either.  He  did  not  al- 
ways think  so  ;  as  a  young  man  he  used  to 
delight  in  picking  holes  in  its  history,  and 
scoffing  at  its  teaching.  He  was  a  clever 
man,  conversant  with  most  of  the  works 
you  have  here,  and  he  made  a  very  profit- 
able use  of  his  knowledge  and  his  pen,  for 
scepticism  was  fashionable,  and  it  paid  to 
abuse  the  Bible.  But  the  expression  of 
these  opinions  cost  him  his  employment, 
and  he  was  reduced  to  living  upon  his 
literary  earnings.  Upon  these  he  might 
have  Hone  very  well  but  that  unexpectedly 
52 


THE  BATTLE   OF  THE   BOOKS 

he  found  he  could  write  no  more  in  the 
same  strain  as  formerly.  '  The  entrance  of 
Thy  word  giveth  light/  and  by  its  light  he 
saw  that  he  had  been  living  in  utter 
neglect  of  one  side  of  life,  '  of  the  soul 
which  is  bound  up  in  the  bundle  of  life 
with  the  Lord  his  God.'  From  that  hour 
the  book  became  a  lamp  unto  his  feet  and 
a  light  unto  his  path,  and  though  my 
mother's  health  was  failing  and  poverty 
pressed  us  sorely,  he  never  swerved  from 
his  love  of  his  Bible.  His  last  moments 
were  spent  over  its  pages,  his  last  words 
were  a  witness  to  its  quickening  power, 
and  he  died  with  the  testimony  on  his  lips, 
'  This  is  my  comfort  in  my  affliction,  for 
Thy  word  hath  quickened  me.'  But  I  must 
go,"  he  added,  "  now  I  have  found  what  I 
was  looking  for.  I  have  promised  to  read 
to-night  to  a  friend  who  is  passing  through 
the  valley  of  the  shadow  of  death  ;  no 
words  but  these  can  give  that  true  peace 
which  enables  a  man  to  meet  death  calmly, 
and  in  the  sure  and  certain  hope  of  resurrec- 
tion to  a  life  hereafter." 

So  saying,  they  quitted  the  library.    The 

53 


FRAGMENTS  IN  BASKETS 

key  turned  again  in  the  door,  and  the  books 
were  left  once  more  in  undisturbed  posses- 
sion of  the  room  until  the  morning.  But 

O 

the  discussion  was  not  resumed.  Even  the 
novels  felt  it  wiser  to  be  content  with  their 
popularity,  and  not  advance  doubtful  claims 
to  superiority  over  their  fellows,  since  the 
only  point  on  which  all  were  likely  to  agree 
was  in  mutual  congratulations  that  so  im- 
portant a  rival  as  the  Bible  had  proved  to 
be,  was  no  longer  in  their  midst. 


«BE  STILL  AND  KNOW" 


"  The  ornament  of  a  meek  and  quiet  spirit* 
"  In  your  patience  possess  ye  your  souls" 


"BE  STILL   AND   KNOW" 

was  a  brilliant  day  in  summer 
when  the  little  spring  first 
welled  up  from  the  mountain 
side ;  and,  bubbling  in  its  joy, 
greeted  the  free  atmosphere,  the  glorious 
sunshine,  and  the  still  pure  blue  of  heaven. 
It  had  been  a  dry  summer,  an  unusually 
dry  summer.  The  grass  was  parched  and 
burnt,  the  bracken  clothing  the  hill- side 
was  dried  and  withered,  and  had  donned  its 
autumn  dress  of  rich  warm  russet  ere  its 
time,  the  soil  was  light  and  crumbling 
with  cracks  and  fissures  gaping  for  refresh- 
ment, so  that  the  advent  of  the  spring  was 
greeted  on  all  sides  with  a  chorus  of  rejoic- 
ing. It  stayed  awhile,  slowly  welling  up- 
wards and  contemplating  the  scene  upon 

57 


FRAGMENTS  IN  BASKETS 

which  it  had  arrived,  whilst  all  around  it 
heard  the  voices  of  grass  and  fern  and 
earth  crying  to  it,  "  Oh,  come  to  us  and 
kiss  us  with  your  freshness ;  come  and 
slake  our  parched  thirst  with  your  wel- 
come moisture." 

And  the  little  spring  sparkled  to  itself 
in  joy,  and  reflected  back  the  brilliancy 
of  the  sunlight  and  the  calm  hopefulness  of 
the  azure  vault  above,  as  it  thought  how 
all  combined  to  welcome  it,  and  how  happy 
it  would  be  in  this  new  home,  running  to 

7  c? 

and  fro  helping  one  and  another,  whilst  it 
itself  bore  everywhere  the  glorious  robe  of 
azure  caught  from  the  heaven  above  and 
sparkled  with  sun-rays  as  they  fell  athwart 
its  surface. 

It  was  in  no  hurry  to  do  more.  For  the 
moment  it  was  content  and  happy ;  but 
life,  it  soon  learnt,  goes  on  and  drives  its 
children  with  irresistible,  if  imperceptible, 
force  onward  too.  So,  as  it  grew  and 
gathered  strength  it  found  itself  rolling 
slowly  onward  and  downward.  The 
thirsty  grass  received  it  with  open  arms 
and  begged  it  to  stay  that  it  might  drink 
58 


"BE   STILL  AND  KNOW" 

its  fill,  but  the  spring  heard  other  voices 
calling,  and  impelled  by  a  power  it  knew 
not  it  pushed  on,  merrily  babbling  over 
the  stones  as  it  went.  When  it  met  one 
larger  than  another  it  just  changed  its 
course,  and  running  round  the  impeding 
stone  sped  gaily  onward,  sparkling  and 
singing  in  the  light  of  heaven. 

The  birds  came  and  drank  of  its  waters, 
the  wind  caressed  it  as  it  blew,  and  still 
the  stream  sped  onward  and  ever  down- 
ward too.  As  it  passed  along  the  moun- 
tain side  it  saw  other  streamlets,  and 
greeting  them  with  merry  ripple  said, 
"  Come  with  me,  let  us  join  hands  and  go 
together,  for  I  am  off  to  see  more  of  this 
glorious  world.  That  beautiful  golden 
globe  that  lives  in  the  vault  above  is  going 
down  behind  the  world  and  I  must  go  too  ; 
so  you  see  that  I  must  hurry  or  I  shall  be 
left  behind  and  I  cannot  live  without  him. 
I  shall  have  hard  work  to  keep  up  with 
him,  no  doubt,  but  come  with  me  or  you 
will  die  too  and  sink  back  into  the  cold 
dark  earth  again  where  we  came  from." 

And  the  wind  that  swept  softly  by 

59 


FRAGMENTS  IN  BASKETS 

sighed  gently  to  the  stream  : — "  Not  so, 
dear  stream,  you  are  wrong ;  haste  not,  for 
you  cannot  catch  the  golden  sun  however 
fast  you  go ;  wait,  be  patient,  obey  the 
order  of  your  being,  go  slowly  on  shedding 
refreshment  as  you  go,  and  he  will  return 
and  you  shall  shine  again  in  his  light 
and  reflect  once  more  the  beauty  of  the 
heavens." 

But  the  stream  believed  not  the  wind. 
"  Come  back  ?  No  !  I  am  not  going  to 
trust  to  that ;  how  do  I  know  that  he  will 
return  ?  I  prefer  to  make  sure,  I  am  not 
one  of  those  that  like  to  sit  down  idle,  I 
shall  be  up  and  doing.  I  mean  to  work 
for  my  robe  of  blue  and  not  be  left  in  the 
lurch.  If  I  only  go  fast  enough  I  shall 
succeed,  so  come  along,  dear  streamlets, 
join  me  and  we'll  run  along  together.  It's 
only  down  the  hill  and  across  that  field 
and  we  shall  be  there  ;  don't  stay  listening 
to  the  wind,  but  let's  be  off." 

But  the  wind  knew  better.     Sweeping 

ceaselessly  across  the  land  the  wind  knew 

well  that  the   field,    as   it  seemed  to   the 

streamlet,   was  a  wide  stretch  of  country 

60 


"BE   STILL  AND  KNOW" 

widening  beyond  all  expectation  away  to 
the  ocean,  beyond  which  again  the  sun 
still  held  on  his  way,  and  that  it  was  hope- 
less for  the  stream  to  attempt  to  follow. 

"  Silly  little  stream,"  he  wailed,  as  he 
floated  sadly  on,  "  were  you  as  old  as  I 
you  would  be  wiser  and  know  you  cannot 
earn  for  yourself,  hurry  and  work  as  you 
will,  the  azure  dress  you  admire  so  much  ; 
for  only  by  patient  continuance  in  well 
doing  your  life's  work  can  you  be  clothed 
upon  with  the  robe  of  heaven.  Only  as 
you  do  your  Maker's  work  and  patiently 
spread  yourself  in  blessing  to  His  world  can 
you  reflect  the  likeness  of  heaven." 

But  the  stream  heard  not  the  wind,  for 
he  was  half-way  down  the  mountain  by 
this  time,  the  glad  welcoming  of  grass  and 
bracken  all  forgotten,  as  swollen  and 
strengthened  by  the  other  streams  which 
had  joined  him  he  sped  onwards  in  the 
direction  of  the  sun  which  was  fast  dis- 
appearing from  his  view.  As  he  neared 
the  level  ground  he  saw  to  his  dismay  the 
colours  go  from  fern  and  flower,  from  grass 
and  leaf.  A  dull  grey  hue  pervaded  all  that 

61 


FRAGMENTS  IN  BASKETS 

was  so  bright  awhile  ago,  and  he  shivered 
in  his  fear  lest  after  all  he  could  not  speed 
fast  enough  to  keep  up  with  the  sun, 
and  was  just  bracing  himself  to  renewed 
effort  when  a  strange  thing  happened.  He 
found  to  his  horror  that  now  the  mountain 
was  passed  it  was  not  so  easy  as  he  had 
expected  to  cross  the  field,  seemingly  so 
free  from  impeding  stones  and  rocks.  It 
was  true  there  was  no  impediment,  but  all 
his  strength  was  gone,  and  he  crept  slowly 
onward,  obliged  now  to  choose  the  channel 
that  was  least  difficult  to  follow,  instead  of 
dashing  impetuously  on  in  a  straight  line 
for  the  desired  goal.  And  so  he  learnt  the 
lesson  that  he  could  not  quite  guide  his 
own  life  and  select  his  own  path,  but  that 
he  must  accept  its  conditions  as  he  found 
them,  and  sadly  he  flowed  onward,  all  his 
fun  and  sparkle  gone. 

But  the  morning  light  revealed  further 
causes  for  dismay.  All  the  clear  bright 
water,  which  had  welled  from  out  the 
earth  with  such  brilliant  freshness,  was 
muddy  and  turbid.  During  the  night  he 
had  passed  a  little  cluster  of  cottages,  and 
62 


"BE  STILL  AND  KNOW" 

from  them  had  flowed  occasional  streams 
which  had  not  contributed  to  his  purity. 
The  banks,  too,  through  which  he  ran  were 
soft  and  muddy,  and  to  his  disgust  he 
found  himself  in  his  passage  through  the 
world  carrying  along  much  that  he  had  not 
expected,  and  much  for  which  he  had  not 
wished,  and  yet  from  which  it  seemed  some- 
how impossible  to  escape.  But  worse  than 
all,  he  was  still  farther  from  the  sun  and 
heavens  than  when  on  the  distant  moun- 
tain, and  the  direction  in  which  he  was 
travelling,  though  carrying  him  on,  seemed 
to  bring  him  no  nearer.  Indeed,  he  could 
not  think  where  the  sun  was,  for  he  was 
not  to  be  seen  anywhere  nor  any  blue  sky 
either ;  all  was  grey  and  misty. 

With  a  saddened  heart  he  rolled  slowly 
onwards,  growing  wider  and  fuller,  it  is 
true,  but  growing  blacker  and  thicker  also. 
The  way  now  led  through  more  buildings, 
and  every  here  and  there  a  very  large  high 
house,  with  a  number  of  windows  in  a  row, 
would  be  close  beside  him  and  a  great 
black  wheel  would  be  turning  round  and 
round  just  in  his  very  path,  so  that  he 

63 


FRAGMENTS  IN  BASKETS 

could  not  avoid  it,  but  must  perforce 
submit  to  be  broken  and  divided,  half  of 
him  being  carried  up  on  the  wheel  and 
thrown  down  on  the  other  side,  whilst 
half  crept  under.  And  from  every  house 
or  cottage  which  he  passed  he  received 
some  further  additions,  all  of  which  robbed 
him  of  some  of  his  purity. 

His  friend,  too,  the  wind,  was  absent,  so 
that  he  could  not  ask  him  what  it  all 
meant,  and  it  was  with  a  very  discontented 
heart  he  flowed  along. 

"  I  don't  call  this  life,"  he  grumbled.  "  I 
seem  to  have  lost  all  my  strength  and 
energy,  as  well  as  my  beauty.  I  meant  to 
choose  my  own  path,  and  one  that  led 
upwards,  and  here  I  am  condemned  to 
crawl  along  in  this  uninteresting  way." 

Just  then  a  swallow  paused  upon  his 
banks  to  refresh  his  thirst,  and  hearing  the 
murmur  of  the  stream,  replied,  "  I  don't 
think  you  ought  to  be  dissatisfied  with 
your  life,  dear  stream,  if  I  may  say  so,  for 
you  have  the  satisfaction  of  knowing  how 
useful  you  are  to  others  ;  you  have  only  to 
notice  how  the  cottages  and  houses  cluster 
64 


"BE   STILL  AND  KNOW" 

along  your  banks  wherever  you  go  to  know 
that  they  cannot  do  without  you.  I  wish 
I  could  be  of  as  much  use  !  " 

"  It  is  all  very  fine  for  you  to  talk,"  said 
the  stream,  "  when  you  have  only  to  lift 
your  wings  and  fly  away  upwards  whither 
you  please ;  you'd  tell  another  tale  if  you 
were  tied  here  as  I  am,  and  had  lost  all 
your  beauty,  and  fun,  and  sparkle." 

"  I  don't  know,"  said  the  swallow ;  "  I 
think  it  is  nobler  to  be  of  service  than  to 
be  beautiful,"  and  so  saying  he  flew  off", 
leaving  the  stream  as  discontented  as  ever. 

"  I  want  to  be  doing ;  I  cannot  bear 
being  idle ;  I  don't  believe  in  things  coming 
to  you  by  waiting.  It's  all  very  well  of  the 
wind  to  try  and  persuade  me  that  I  cannot 
recover  my  azure  robe  by  going  after  the 
sun  ;  it  seems  to  me  it's  the  only  way,  and 
so  I  mean  to  try  it  if  I  can."  But  his  medi- 
tations were  interrupted  by  a  change  in 
the  country  through  which  he  was  passing. 
To  his  great  joy,  the  plain  which  had 
seemed  illimitable  now  appeared  to  open 
downwards,  in  the  direction  whither  the 
sun  had  gone,  and  with  a  rush  and  a 
E  65 


FRAGMENTS  IN  BASKETS 

plunge  he  flung  himself  over  the  slope  and 
hit  against  a  huge  piece  of  rock  ;  from  this 
he  bounded  to  another,  and  yet  another. 
They  rose  at  every  point  in  his  downward 
path,  so  that  he  was  forced  to  split  and 
divide,  going  round  some  and  leaping  over 
others.  But  he  did  not  now  grumble,  for 
"  This  is  life  !  "  he  cried  ;  "  now  I  live  again* 
now  I  feel  I  am  making  some  true  pro- 
gress." And  ever  onward  he  rushed  in 
tumultuous  haste. 

As  he  dashed  from  side  to  side  of  the 
narrow  channel  and  plunged  amongst  the 
rocks,  he  foamed  and  fretted  until  he  grew 
a  sparkling  white  with  a  brilliancy  equal  to 
the  clouds. 

"  Ah  !  "  thought  he,  "  I  was  right ;  I  can 
achieve  something.  It's  all  very  well  to 
say,  'Be  patient  and  go  quietly  on  your 
way,  and  the  likeness  to  the  glorious 
heavens  will  be  yours' — it  never  would. 
Why,  see,  in  half  the  time  I  have  re- 
covered my  dazzling  purity.  I  wish 
the  wind  would  but  come  along  and 
see  me  now."  And  as  he  spoke  he  felt 
him  creeping  up  the  gulley  down  which 
66 


"BE   STILL  AND  KNOW" 

lie  was  rushing,  and  greeted  him  exult- 
ingly. 

"  See  how  wrong  you  were — you  told 
me  I  could  do  nothing.  You  advocated  a 
policy  of  patience,  and  all  the  while  I 
should  have  crept  along  as  dull  as  ditch- 
water,  had  I  followed  your  advice.  Look 
at  me  now  ;  see  how  I  sparkle  and 
splash ! " 

"  True,"  said  the  wind,  "  but  it  is  not 
with  likeness  to  heaven.  You  cannot 
make  for  yourself  the  grace  and  beauty 
that  heaven  alone  can  give.  You  fret  and 
fume  against  the  obstacles  in  your  path,  or 
you  leap  exultingly  over  them,  and  you 
gain  a  portion  of  the  heavenly  likeness,  I 
admit,  for  your  motive  is  pure  ;  but  these 
are  but  broken  rays  of  light,  only  of  your 
own  making  by  fussing  and  faming  against 
the  order  of  your  being.  The  heavenly  blue 
is  lacking.  True  beauty  only  comes  when 
you  will  lie  outspread,  submissive  before 
heaven.  In  quietness  and  patience  shall 
be  your  true  strength ;  cease  from  self  and 
look  upwards ;  be  content  to  give  up  your 
own  way,  and  then,  and  then  only,  hope 

67 


FRAGMENTS  IN  BASKETS 

will  enter  into  your  life,  and  you  will  be 
clothed  upon  with  azure  tints  of  deepest 
richness.  Be  still ;  then  only  can  you 
know  your  God.  Heaven  is  above  you — 
wait.  Days  of  darkness  may  come,  but 
the  glorious  sun  will  return  in  due  course. 
Cease  from  self;  think  not  to  make  your 
own  life,  leave  that  in  higher  hands.  As 

O 

you  rush,  and  fret,  and  fume  you  are  but 
widening  the  distance  from  the  thing  you 
seek.  Quietness  and  repose,  the  contem- 
plation of  what  is  above  you,  and  the 
spreading  of  your  life  in  willing  service 
will  alone  give  you  true  likeness  to  heaven. 
But,"  added  the  wind,  y/ith  a  sigh,  "  you 
have  not  yet  learnt  that  the  way  to  this 
heavenly  likeness  is  by  living  unto  others. 
Did  you  but  know  it,  you  had  more  chance 
of  the  azure  robe  when  peacefully  wander- 
ing past  the  despised  cottages  tha/i  now, 
whilst  leaping  from  rock  to  rock." 

"  That  cannot  be,"  replied  the  stream, 
"  for  I  gathered  so  much  evil  by  my 
contact  with  them  that  all  my  purity  was 
gone,  and  it  is  only  by  my  own  efforts  that 
I  have  recovered  even  a  semblance  of  it. 
68 


"BE   STILL  AND  KNOW" 

Why,  if  I  were  to  do  as  you  wish,  I  should 
be  more  than  useless — ugly  and  black." 

"  No,''  said  the  wind,  "  not  so ;  you 
would  be  more  serviceable.  If,  instead  of 
tumbling  over  these  rocks,  you  had  been 
content  to  flow  through  the  meadows  and 
villages,  you  would  have  spread  plenty  as 
you  went.  You  might  have  lost  in  one 
way  by  giving  them  of  your  strength  and 
brightness ;  but  you  would  have  gained 
really  in  width  and  volume  as  you  flowed 
onwards.  The  path  chosen  for  you,  believe 
me,  is  best/' 

"  And  what  would  the  end  of  it  have 
been  ?  "  inquired  the  stream. 

"  It  would  have  led  onward  through 
villages  and  towns  to  the  mighty  ocean." 

"  There  to  be  lost  for  ever  !  "  scoffed  the 
stream.  "  No,  thank  you ;  such  a  life  is 
not  to  my  taste,  and  the  goal  you  paint  is 
not  one  which  attracts  me." 

"It  is  one  to  which  you  must  come," 
replied  the  wind,  "  whether  you  will  or 
no." 

But  the  stream  did  not  wait  to  listen, 
and  bounded  onward  as  before.  Life  was 

69 


FRAGMENTS  IN  BASKETS 

bright,  life  was  merry  and  free ;  it  knew 
no  constraint  and  no  compulsion,  and  gaily 
did  it  leap  along,  unconscious  that  while 
seeking  its  way  to  recover  the  heavenly 
likeness  it  was  really  being  led  thither- 
ward, though  by  a  way  that  it  knew 
not. 

Through  fields  all  alike,  through  long 
stretches  of  country,  with  many  twists  and 
turns,  and  past  buildings  here  and  there, 
the  stream  dashed  onwards,  till  it  began  to 
lose  heart,  and  feared  that,  after  all,  the 
wind  was  right,  and  it  could  do  nothing 
towards  acquiring  the  likeness  it  desired 
so  strongly. 

"  Dear  friend,"  he  called,  as  he  felt  the 
wind  breathe  o'er  his  surface,  "you  are 
right ;  I  have  been  trying  all  this  long 
while,  I  have  been  running  on  unceasingly, 
and  yet  heaven  is  no  nearer,  and  I  am  no 
liker  unto  heaven.  What  shall  I  do  ? " 

"Come,"  said  the  wind,  "  if  you  really 
long  for  heaven,  come  with  me;  I  will 
take  you.  But  I  warn  you,  you  will  not 
like  it ;  you  must  be  content  to  become 

foul  in  your  own  eyes  ;    you  must  spend 
70 


"BE   STILL  AND  KNOW" 

and  be  spent  for  others  ;  you  must  flow 
past  houses,  cottages,  wharves  ;  you  must 
be  used  by  all  who  need  you  ;  you  must 
bear  the  burdens  of  others  ;  the  stately 
ships  must  ride  upon  your  bosom ;  and 
then  shall  you  reflect  the  heavenly  like- 
ness." 

"  But  how,  dear  wind  ?  Do  tell  me  how 
I  can  do  this." 

"  Take  this  as  your  motto — '  Be  still, 
and  know  that  I  am  God.'  In  quietness 
and  confidence  shall  be  your  strength. 
Be  passive  in  your  Maker's  hands  ;  let 
Him  use  you  how  He  will.  Heaven's  light 
is  only  reflected  in  human  stillness.  It  is 
in  the  restfulness  of  love  that  God's  light 
may  be  seen  in  us.  Your  mistake  has 
been  in  trying  to  make  your  own  life.  Be 
still,  look  up  to  Him  ;  He  will  do  all.  As 
you  look  upward  more  and  more,  laying 
yourself  open  to  the  gracious  influences  of 
heaven,  you  will  reflect  back  more  and 
more  of  its  likeness,  until  at  last,  losing 
yourself  in  ocean,  you  are  received  upward, 
and  find  yourself  indeed  taken  into  the 
azure  you  so  long  for.  Thus,  and  thus 

71 


FRAGMENTS  IN  BASKETS 

only,  can  the  longing  of  vour  heart  be 
satisfied,  when  you  awake  thus  truly  after 
His  likeness." 

"  But  I  shall  get  so  much  foulness  and 
dirt  from  contact  with  houses  and  ships 
and  the  work-a-day  world  ;  can  it  be  that 
the  way  to  heaven  lies  there  ?  " 

"Yes,  indeed;  be  not  afraid,  look  ever 
upward,  and  the  reflection  of  heaven's 
likeness  shall  cover  the  deformities  of 
earth,  till  the  day  comes  when  you  your- 
self shall  be  called  upwards.  Then  all  the 
foulness  and  blackness,  which  you  so 
rightly  deplore,  shall  be  left  behind,  and 
you  shall  shine  as  the  clouds  in  the 
dazzling  purity  of  your  new  life.  Come  ; 
I  will  take  you." 

And  the  wind  blew  and  drove  the  stream 
onwards,  on  and  on,  ever  growing  in 
strength  and  volume,  as  he  spread  over  the 
land  and  flowed  through  villages  and 
towns.  Thirsty  travellers  drank  of  his 
waters,  factories  borrowed  his  strength  to 
turn  their  wheels,  children  bathed  in  his 
shallows,  heavily-laden  barges  floated  on  his 
bosom,  and  the  emerald  fields  sucked  up 
72 


"BE   STILL  AND  KNOW 

his  refreshment  and  smiled  their  thanks  to 
Heaven. 

He  began  to  think  of  life  now  in  a 
different  way ;  it  was  so  full,  there  was  so 
much  to  do,  there  were  so  many  to  help,  he 
had  no  time  to  spend  in  working  out  his  own 
life.  But  ever  and  anon,  while  helping 
others,  he  would  remember  to  look  upward, 
and  as  he  looked  a  calmness  stole  upon  him, 
an  unruffled  serenity  contrasting  strangely 
with  the  impetuous  haste  of  youth.  And 
ever,  as  he  looked  upward,  the  likeness 
grew.  Others  saw  in  him  what  he  could 
not  see  himself,  as,  day  by  day,  he  reflected 
more  and  more  vividly  the  likeness  of 
heaven,  till,  reaching  ocean  at  length,  he 
ceased  to  be  as  a  stream,  and  ascended 
through  the  atmosphere  to  become,  in  very 
truth,  part  of  the  clouds  he  so  much  loved. 


73 


THE   LIGHT   OF  LOVE 


"  /  drew  them  with  cords  of  a  man,  with  bands  of  love:1 
" The  love  of  Christ  constraineth  us* 


THE  LIGHT  OF  LOVE 

[WAY  in  illimitable  space  a 
morsel  floated.  What  was  it  ? 
Whence  came  it  ?  Whither 
went  it  ?  These  thoughts  rushed 


upon  it  as  it  came  to  consciousness — 
such  consciousness  as  conveys  only  a 
knowledge  that  it  is,  beyond  which  know- 
ledge all  was  unknown.  The  region  where 
it  found  itself  was  dark  and  impalpable, 
it  knew  neither  what  it  was,  nor  whence 
it  came,  nor  whither  it  went. 

After  a  time  spent  in  wonder,  it  began 
to  experience  a  sense  of  motion — of  move- 
ment rapid  and  regular — in  the  course  of 
which  it  discerned  by  degrees  spots  of 
brightness  in  what  looked  the  far,  far  dis- 
tance, but  having  nothing  by  which  to 

77 


measure,  this  was  by  no  means  certain. 
Anon,  they  drew  nearer  and  then  flashed 
by,  leaving  the  darkness  greater  than 
before.  "  What  are  you  ? "  he  cried,  as 
one  crossed  his  path  rather  more  slowly. 
"A  star,"  was  the  answer.  "  Then  am  I  a 
star,  too  ? "  he  asked  ;  but  his  informant 
was  gone,  and  he  could  only  wait  and 
watch. 

The  first  thing  he  noted  was  that  those 
who  crossed  his  path  shed  around  them  a 
beautiful  light  as  they  moved,  whilst  he 
went  on  in  darkness.  No  rays  fell  from 
him  upon  the  surrounding  blackness.  If 
he  were  a  star,  he  must  be  a  useless  star, 
different  in  some  way  from  the  others ;  for 
besides  lacking  their  brightness,  he  noticed 
that  they  all  appeared  to  belong  to  one 
another,  whereas  he  seemed  to  be  wander- 
ing alone  as  though  no  one  wanted  him 
and  there  were  no  place  for  him  in  space. 
A  third  thing  struck  him ;  that  they 
were  all  hasting  by,  evidently  bound  on 
some  mission  which  demanded  fulfilment, 
whereas  he  seemed  to  have  nothing  by 
which  to  guide  his  movements,  but  to 
78 


THE  LIGHT  OF  LOVE 

gyrate  onward  aimlessly  in  blackness  and 
loneliness. 

He  was  very  lonely  and  very  sad — life 
and  being  seemed  to  him  a  doubtful 
blessing.  Whence  came  he  ?  Why  had 
he  come  ?  These  questions  echoed  and 
re-echoed  around  him  as  he  admitted  that 
he  would  rather  not  have  been  called 
into  being  and  sent  forth  thus,  since 
there  was  no  place  for  him,  no  work 
for  him,  and  no  one  wanted  him  ;  he  was 
but  a  waif,  floating  astray,  purposeless 
through  space. 

As  he  thought  thus,  there  neared  him  a 
body  of  stars,  some  larger,  some  smaller, 
some  even  as  small  as  himself,  whilst 
upon  the  outskirts  of  the  circle  they 
seemed  to  be  held  together  by  an  unseen 
bond,  for  all  moved  regularly  as  though  one 
body,  and  yet,  all  were  quite  distinct. 

"Now,"  thought  he,  "if  I  could  bub 
attach  myself  to  them,  I  should  feel  that  I 
too  had  part  in  life,  that  I  too  was  wanted 
somewhere,  and  perchance  in  time  I  might 
come  to  shine  as  they  do.  As  they  draw 
nearer  I  will  try."  But  the  stars  drew 

79 


FRAGMENTS  IN  BASKETS 

near  and  never  noticed  the  poor  little 
black  and  lonely  star  that  tried  to  join 
them.  They  were  moving  at  a  great  pace, 
bent  on  their  own  affairs  and  in  a  different 
plane  from  his,  so  that  they  only  crossed 
his  path  for  less  than  a  single  second,  and 
heeded  not  the  plaintive  petition  that  they 
would  make  room  for  him.  And  once  again 
he  was  alone  in  darkness. 

Again  and  again  bodies  of  stars  rushed 
by.  Some  larger,  some  smaller,  but  none 
would  have  anything  to  say  to  him  ;  indeed 
they  went  so  fast,  they  had  come  and  gone 
before  even  he  could  make  his  voice  heard, 
or  let  them  know  that  he  was  there. 
Some,  indeed,  for  a  while  seemed  to  sweep 
him  onward  with  them,  but  it  was  only 
the  impetus  of  their  own  movement  which 
unintentionally  drew  him  forward  in  the 
rash  of  their  train,  and  which  died  down  as 
they  out-distanced  him,  leaving  him  more 
lonely  and  unhappy  than  ever. 

"  They  are  cruel,"  thought  he,  "  and  life 

is  cruel ;  I  am  not  wanted,  and  I  did  not 

ask  to  be.     Why  should    I  wander   thus 

alone  ?     I  could  be  of  some  use ;    I  feel  as 

80 


THE  LIGHT  OF  LOVE 

though  I  could  shine  a  little  if  I  got  the 
chance,  but  I  am  all  alone  and  how  can  I  ? 
No  one  will  have  me,  every  one  is  in  such 
haste  about  his  own  affairs  ;  no  one  has 
any  time  to  think  of  such  as  me.  Ah, 
well !  it  seems  hard  ;  I  should  like  to  be  as 
others,  but  I  don't  know  how  to  ;  I  am 
not  attractive,  and  I  don't  know  what 
makes  them  shine,  nor  what  it  is  that 
binds  them  all  together  so  that  they  go 
about  so  happily  and  brightly  wTith  one 
another.  It  must  be  something  which  I 
have  not  got,  for  I  am  but  a  solitary 
waif,  whilst  they  are  whole  families  of 
stars." 

But  help  was  coming,  though  he  knew 
it  not.  His  pilgrimage  through  space  had 
brought  him  nearer  to  a  solution  of  his 
puzzles  and  sorrows,  for  there  were  still 
some  who  had  thought  and  kindliness  for 
others,  and  who  would  listen  to  his  plea, 
nay,  who  would  even  seek  out  such  as  he. 

Though  many  bodies  of  stars  seemed  to 
be  going  so  fast  that  they  had  no  thought 
for  any  but  themselves,  and,  indeed,  some 
actually  repelled  him,  yet  presently  one 


FRAGMENTS  IN  BASKETS 

cluster  drew  near,  different  from  the  rest, 
for  even  whilst  they  were  yet  far  distant, 
he  felt  the  faint  drawings  of  attraction 
towards  them.  Perhaps  he  gained  confi- 
dence from  observing  that  they  did  not  go 
so  fast,  perhaps  from  the  fact  that  the  stars 
forming  the  cluster  were  of  various  and 
smaller  sizes,  some  nearer  to  his  own  size ; 
still  more  perhaps  from  the  fact  that  all 
were  not  of  equal  brilliancy.  Some  indeed 
only  shone  in  parts,  some  only  on  one  side, 
some  scarcely  at  all.  They  were  led,  it 
was  true,  by  several  stars  brighter  than 
any  he  had  seen,  and  of  these  no  doubt  he 
would  have  been  afraid,  but  that  they 
seemed  to  shed  around  them  the  power  of 
such  a  sweet  attractiveness,  that  he  could 
no  longer  be  silent,  but  once  again  raised 
his  voice  and  pleaded  to  be  allowed  to  join 
them. 

Almost  before  he  had  spoken,  he  felt 
a  thrill  which  he  could  not  understand 
pass  through  him,  and  was  drawn  into 
their  train,  and  had  become  one  of  them, 
held  by  the  mysterious  power  which  united 
them  all  together,  and  which  seemed 
82 


THE  LIGHT  OF  LOVE 

strongest  in  the  largest  and  most  brilliant 
of  the  stars.  Near  him  were  some  smaller 
than  the  others,  and  of  them  he  ventured 
to  seek  an  explanation. 

"How  is  it,"  said  he,  "that  you  are  all 
held  thus  together  ?  What  is  this  sweet 
power  which  binds  me  to  you,  so  that  I 
feel  no  longer  a  wandering  star  reserved 
for  blackness  and  darkness,  but  have  a 
hope  that  there  is  yet  a  corner  for  me 
in  which  I  may  find  some  purpose  and 
some  use  for  my  existence.  What  is  it  I 

"It  is  love,"  replied  one  of  them;  "we 
are  drawn  together  with  the  bands  of 
love.  This  love  constraineth  us  to  serve 
one  another,  and  whilst  you  were  yet  in 
darkness  and  solitude,  it  was  seeking 
and  drawing  you  to  itself.  Nothing  can 
separate  us  from  this  love." 

"  But  why  are  we  not  all  alike,  then  ?  " 
asked  the  little  star.  "  Why  are  some  so 
dark  and  some  so  bright  ? " 

"  Because  one  star  differeth  from  another 
star  in  glory,  just  in  proportion  to  the 
strength  of  its  love.  As  this  power  deepens 
in  us  we  shall  draw  nearer  to  the  central 

83 


FRAGMENTS  IN  BASKETS 

sun  of  our  being,  and  grow  more  like  him, 
reflecting  back  more  and  more  of  his  efful- 
gence, for  we  have  no  glory  of  our  own." 

"And  these  brightest  of  all,  what  are 
they?" 

"These  are  they  that  turn  many  to 
righteousness  ;  in  them  love  glows  with 
wondrous  brightness,  and  they  shall  shine 
for  ever  and  ever ;  but  beautiful  as  they 
are,  there  is  another,  the  bright  Morning 
Star,  whom  you  have  yet  to  see,  more 
beautiful  than  any  you  can  imagine,  so 
exquisite  in  His  glory  that  none  of 
the  stars  are  pure  in  His  sight.  At  His 
birth  we  all  sang  together  and  shouted  for 
joy,  for  He  is  the  brightness  of  His 
Father's  glory,  and  the  express  image  of 
His  person.  It  is  His  love,"  he  added 
after  a  pause,  "  which  binds  us  all  to- 
gether ;  He  is  the  centre,  and  in  Him  we 
live  and  move  and  have  our  being." 

"  And  has  He  work  for  me,  I  wonder  ?  " 

"  No  doubt  He  has,"  was  the  answer, 

"for  even  the  most  feeble  are  necessary; 

you  need  no  longer  feel  astray,  a  waif  in 

the  world's  wilderness,    for  He  it  is  who 

84 


THE   LIGHT  OF  LOVE 

seeks  the  lost,  and  setteth  the  solitary  in 
families.  His  love  can  never  fail,  you  are 
His,  and  He  who  has  begun  this  good 
work  in  you  will  accomplish  it  to  the  end." 

And  the  little  star  paused,  struck  dumb 
with  wonder  and  with  joy.  With  wonder 
at  the  graciousness  of  the  love  which 
sought  him  out  whilst  yet  a  wanderer,  and 
which,  working  in  his  companions,  held 
them  all  together  with  so  firm  yet  so  loving 
a  bond  that  they  were  willing  to  make 
room  even  for  him  also  ;  and  with  joy,  too, 
for  was  it  not  true  that  a  faint  scintillation 
of  light  fell  from  him  ?  Surely  the  darkness 
in  which  he  moved  was  not  so  sombre  as 
before  ;  could  he  be  mistaken  ? 

No,  it  was  true ;  a  faint  glow  spread 
o'er  him  as  he  realised  the  depth  of 
the  love  that  held  him,  whilst  the  hope 
grew  and  strengthened  within  him  that 
he  might  yet  live  to  throw  back  upon  the 
darkness  of  the  world  some  of  that  light 
which  had  turned  for  him  its  darkness 
into  day. 


«IN  WAYS  THAT  WE  KNOW  NOT 


"  Therefore,  behold,  I  will  allure  her, 
And  bring  her  into  the  wilderness, 
And  speak  comfortably  to  her ; 

And  I  will  give  her  her  vineyards  from  thence, 
And  the   Valley  of  Trouble  for  a  door  of  Hope. 


"IN  WAYS  THAT  WE  KNOW  NOT" 

T  was  a  long  low  room,  lighted 
from  the  top  as  well  as  by 
windows  in  the  side  walls.  In 
the  summer  this  made  it  very 
hot,  as  it  exposed  us  so  constantly  to  the 
heat  of  the  sun's  rays  which  beat  fiercely 
down  upon  us  all  the  long  hours  when  we 
were  left  to  ourselves  with  nothing  to 
do ;  idleness  making  the  heat  all  the  more 
trying  to  bear. 

For  you  must  know  that  our  idle  time 
was  the  day-time,  and  all  the  change  and 
variety  we  ever  knew  was  at  night,  when 
the  long,  low  room  became  peopled  with 
men  in  white  aprons  and  shirt-sleeves,  and 
the  whirr  and  click  of  the  machinery  began. 

One  end  of  the  room  contained  a  huge  iron 

89 


FRAGMENTS  IN  BASKETS 

erection,  with  a  wheel  attached  to  it,  round 
which  passed  a  broad  band  of  leather 
stretching  up  to  the  ceiling  and  there  going 
round  another  smaller  wheel  affixed  to  a 
long  steel  bar  ;  this  went  the  whole  length 
of  the  room,  and  bore  at  intervals  other 
little  wheels,  round  which  leather  bands 
also  passed.  All  these  rotated  together, 
set  in  motion  by  the  one  big  wheel  at  the 
end. 

A  little  distance  from  it  was  a  much 
smaller  erection,  which  had  now  displaced 
the  older  and  larger  one  in  the  work  of 
setting  all  the  wrheels  in  motion.  The  old 
one  maintained  a  dignified  silence,  for  the 
newer  one  was  preferred  before  it,  being 
worked  by  electricity,  whatever  that  is, 
and  doing  twice  the  work  at  half  the  cost, 
so  I've  heard  them  say. 

Personally,  I  am  grateful  to  both  of 
them,  for  I  always  thought  that  what 
little  change  and  variety  I  enjoyed  was 
due  to  them ;  and  now  I  know  that  who- 
ever made  them,  made  them  both  for 
the  same  purpose — to  convey  strength  to 

us  and  powers  of  life ;  for  movement  is  life, 
90 


"IN    WAYS  THAT   WE  KNOW  NOT" 

is  it  not  ?  and  without  them  we  could  not 
move  at  all.  I  quite  admit  that  without  the 
help  of  a  power  greater  than  myself  I  could 
never  hope  to  be  of  any  real  use  at  all, 
so  I  don't  mind  now  whether  the  power 
comes  through  the  big  engine  or  the  little 
engine.  I  know  that  the  power  is  the 
same  through  whatever  channel  it  comes, 
because  when  I  am  called  upon  to  do  my 
life's  work,  I  feel  the  strength  which 
enables  me  to  rise  up. 

But  I  must  tell  you  what  is  the  work 
of  my  life,  only  I  should  just  like  to  say 
that  perhaps  this  is  what  they  mean 
when  I  hear  the  men  around  us  talking 
of  liking  this  Church  or  that  Church  best. 
Are  these  like  our  big  engine  and  our 
little  engine,  and  are  they  only  different 
channels  for  receiving  strength  from  the 
same  power  ? 

But  I  must  stop  talking  about  the 
engines,  and  tell  you  what  I  am,  and  you 
will  wonder  why  such  an  insignificant  thing 
as  I  am  wants  to  tell  you  his  story  at  all. 
Well,  it  is  just  because  I  am  so  very 
insignificant  that  I  think  it  may  be  a  help 

91 


FRAGMENTS  IN  BASKETS 

to  others,  for  there  are  plenty  more  like  me, 
whose  lives  must  be  very  much  the  same 
day  after  day,  and  who  find  it  very  difficult, 
as  I  did,  to  see  any  meaning  or  use  in  their 
existence. 

For  a  long,  long  time  I  was  very  discon- 
tented. Part  of  my  life  was  cheerful  enough, 
part  of  it  terribly  painful,  and  in  none  of  it 
could  I  see  any  meaning  ;  until  at  last  I  was 
shown  what  it  was  all  for,  and  this  is  what 
I  am  so  anxious  to  tell.  I  was  looking  for 
something  I  could  do  myself;  and  never 
thought  that  I  was  in  the  hands  of  the  great 
power  that  was  working  us  all,  and  that, 
instead  of  my  doing  anything,  I  had  only 
to  be  quiet,  and  allow  him  to  make  use  of 
me.  Yet  so  it  was ;  and  this  is  the  truth 
I  want  to  tell  you.  You  will  see  then  how 
exquisitely  beautiful  is  the  way  everything 
is  fitted  in  together  to  do  his  bidding,  so 
that  even  the  feeblest  are  necessary. 

I  was  going  to  say  that  I  am  the  letter 
A,  but  I  am  not  even  that.  I  have  a  friend 
who  is  a  real  letter,  and  I  hope  some  day 
he  will  tell  you  his  story,  too ;  but  I  am 
only  a  mould — a  matrix,  I  think  they 
92 


"IN    WAYS  THAT   WE  KNOW  NOT" 

call   me — out   of    which   the   letter   A   is 
made. 

I  live  in  a  big  machine  made  of  iron  and 
brass,  with  a  lot  of  other  moulds,  some  like 
me,  but  most  of  them  quite  different.  We 
each  have  our  own  dwelling-place,  with  a 
door  at  the  top  and  a  door  at  the  bottom, 
and  all  the  A's  live  together,  and  all  the  B's 
live  in  another  house,  and  all  the  C's  in 
another.  That  sounds  dull,  perhaps,  but  it 
is  not  so  really,  because  we  very  often  meet 
one  another,  as  you  shall  hear.  No  !  the 
dullest  thing,  perhaps,  is  the  daily  round, 
day  after  day  alike,  and  then  the  long  time 
of  silence  and  repose,  and  no  meaning  in  any 
of  it !  But  that  is  all  changed  now. 

Our  busy  time  was  at  night.  All  the 
day  through  we  stood  idle  in  our  homes,  the 
wheels  all  still,  and  the  whirr  of  the 
machines  silent.  We  used  to  watch  eagerly 
as  through  the  side  windows  we  saw  the 
glow  of  rosy  light  when  the  sun  set,  and 
soon  after  that  the  stars  appeared  through 
the  glass  windows  in  the  roof,  and  then  we 
knew  it  would  not  be  long  before  the  gas 
would  be  lit,  the  men  would  come,  and 

93 


FRAGMENTS  IN  BASKETS 

then  the  wheel  at  the  end  of  the  room 
would  begin  to  turn,  and  twist  the  leather 
baud  round  so  that  it  would  turn  the 
smaller  wheel  on  the  steel  bar,  and  as  that 
revolved  all  the  wheels  along  it  would 

o 

turn  round  too.  And  these  smaller  wheels 
each  communicating  by  a  leather  band  with 
one  of  the  machines,  would  set  them  all 
in  motion,  and  the  work  of  the  night 
would  begin ;  for  we  never  left  off  until 
long  after  midnight. 

At  this  point  we  all  trembled  with 
excitement,  and  got  ourselves  ready ;  but 
without  a  special  call  none  of  us  could 
come  out.  You  see  the  power  was 
there,  for  the  wheels  were  turning,  and 
presently  we  should  feel  it  thrill  through 
us,  but  until  it  did  we  could  do  nothing. 
You  might  almost  say  it  made  no 
difference  at  all  to  us  until  we  actually 
felt  its  touch  ;  and  this  it  is  which  makes 
me  think  the  men  must  mean  something  of 
this  sort  when  1  have  heard  them  talking 
about  religion  and  different  places  and 
methods  of  worship,  because  I  can  quite 
see  that  it  is  not  the  same  motive  power  to 

94 


"IN   WAYS  THAT    WE   KNOW  NOT" 

each  of  them,  only  a  few  of  them  seem  to 
make  it  their  very  own — but  I  am  wander- 
ing again ! 

The  first  time  my  turn  came  to  leave  my 
home  I  was  thrilled  with  joy  and  excite- 
ment, and  sallied  forth  in  anticipation  of  a 
brilliant  time.  The  whirr  and  clang  and 
noise  around  me  only  added  to  my  excite- 
ment as  I  dropped  out  of  the  bottom  door 
of  my  home,  and  felt  myself  rapidly  driven 
along  to  the  left,  and  there  held  in  place 
between  some  railings  by  two  little  iron 
fingers,  who  pinched  me  rather  tightly,  until 
a  friend  and  neighbour,  the  letter  N,  came 
down  beside  me,  and  was  pressed  into  place 
in  his  turn.  Next  came  a  D,  and  then  a 
curious  piece  of  steel — which  I  have  heard 
them  call  "justification" — came  and 
separated  us  from  the  comrades  who 
followed.  I  wonder  if  it  gets  that  curious 
name  because  it  adjusts  the  distances  be- 
tween us  ? 

Wliilst  we  were  waiting  in  position  for 
the  next  change  that  was  to  come  upon  us, 
I  took  a  look  around  ;  for  you  must  know 
that  we  cannot  see  much  until  we  leave 

95 


FRAGMENTS  IN  BASKETS 

our  homes,  except  the  rosy  glow  of  sunset 
and  the  stars  overhead.  In  front  of  our 
homes  I  saw  a  man  seated  on  a.  stool ;  before 
him,  on  a  small  square  board,  was  a  piece 
of  paper  with  curious  black  marks  over  it 
as  though  a  fly  had  walked  on  it  with  dirty 
feet.  The  man  gazed  fixedly  at  this,  and 
with  his  hands  he  pressed  down  one  by  one 
some  round  pieces  of  white  stuff,  with  a 
black  mark  on  each,  which  I  think  were 
letters,  but  I  could  not  see  very  well  from 
where  I  was,  and  I  was  so  agitated  that  I 
could  not  notice  everything.  I  did  notice, 
however,  that  every  time  he  touched  one  of 
these  a  neighbour  of  mine  came  out  of  his 
house  and  joined  us,  so  there  must  be  a 
connection  somehow. 

When  a  certain  number  of  us  were, 
arranged  side  by  side,  a  terribly  be- 
wildering experience  befell  us.  We  heard 
a  loud  click,  and  before  we  had  time  to 
wonder  what  it  was,  we  and  the  lines  sup- 
porting us  fell  suddenly  down  and  were 
drawn  still  farther  to  the  left,  where  we  felt 
it  growing  hotter  and  hotter.  Then  came 
another  unexpected  turn  of  the  machinery, 
96 


"IN    IV AYS  THAT   WE  KNOW  NOT" 

and  an  intolerable  heat,  as  we  were  pressed 
close  against  an  iron  box  with  a  rao-ino;  fire 

O         O 

beneath,  and  full  of  molten  boiling  lead. 

To  our  horror  we  were  held  close  to  this 
terrible  place,  and  some  of  the  lead  was 
actually  squeezed  out  upon  us.  We  shrank 
back,  you  may  be  sure,  but  it  was  DO  use, 
we  were  in  the  grasp  of  a  stronger  power. 
In  spite  of  all  our  efforts  the  cruelly 
hot  lead  was  pressed  well  home,  so  that, 
when  at  last  we  were  released — and 
with  what  joy  we  tore  ourselves  away ! 
— I  could  see  myself  and  all  my  comrades 
imprinted  on  the  metal.  We  had  left 
our  impress  there,  and  had  just  time  to 
see  it  as  the  bar  of  lead  was  carried 
off  down  below,  and  we  felt  ourselves 
moving  into  a  cooler  atmosphere  and 
upwards  once  again. 

By  some  means  which  I  cannot  explain 
(for  every  bit  of  the  machinery  seemed  mov- 
ing at  once,  and  all  the  wheels  turning,  and 
there  was  such  a  noise  I  could  hardly  think), 
we  found  ourselves  running  along  a  bar 
above  our  homes,  and  each  one  as  he  came 
to  his  own  particular  door  dropped  gladly 
G  97 


FRAGMENTS  IN  BASKETS 

off  and  returned  to  rest.  All  this  time 
the  man  went  on  pressing  down  the  knobs, 
and  calling  out  one  and'  another  to  go 
through  the  same  experience  from  which  I 
had  just  returned.  I  meant  to  have  warned 
them  what  was  in  store  for  them,  but  the 
very  same  movement  which  dropped  me 
and  my  companions  home  again  liberated 
others,  and  put  them  in  line  down  below, 
so  that  they  were  off  before  ever  I  could 
get  a  word  out. 

I  now  had  a  little  leisure,  for  having  been 
the  first  of  my  family  to  go  out,  and  having 
returned  by  the  upper  door,  I  found  my- 
self on  the  top  of  a  pile  of  moulds  of  the 
letter  A,  and,  since  we  all  went  out  by  the 
lower  door,  I  knew  my  turn  would  not 
come  again  until  all  those  below  me  had 
been  called  out  first.  But  we  were  in 
greater  demand  than  I  thought,  and  before 
very  long  I  trembled,  partly  with  joy  and 
partly  with  fear,  to  find  myself  again  nearest 
to  the  door  through  which  we  all  made  our 
exits  into  the  outer  world.  I  confess  I  was 
somewhat  disappointed  to  find  that  the 
journey  I  performed  was  exactly  similar  to 
98 


the  previous  one,  except  that  my  com- 
panions were  a  little  different.  This  time 
I  had  an  M  on  one  side  of  me,  and  D  E  on 
the  other.  Several  times  that  evening  the 
process  Avas  repeated,  until,  thoroughly 
wearied  out,  we  were  left  at  last  in  peace  as 
the  gaslight  paled  before  the  dawn. 

I  have  forgotten  to  tell  you  what  became 
of  the  bars  of  lead  bearing  our  impress.  As 
I  dropped  homewards,  I  saw  a  long,  narrow, 
shining  mass  removed  from  the  lower  part 
of  the  machine,  near  the  floor,  and  carried 
away  down  the  room.  I  had  just  time  to 
see  that  it  was  composed  of  numbers  of 
bars  of  lead,  all  bearing  the  likeness  of 
letters  in  a  confused  sort  of  way,  for  they 
all  appeared  topsy-turvy,  as  though  they 
were  standing  on  their  heads  with  their 
backs  to  one  another.  What  use  was  made 
of  it  I  did  not  then  know,  and  I  shall  not 
tell  you  now,  because  it  belongs  to  my  dis- 
covery of  the  meaning  of  my  life  ;  but  I 
may  just  tell  you  that  I  heard  the  man  on 
the  stool  say  that  each  of  these  bars  of  lead 
was  a  "line  of  type,"  whatever  "type" 
may  be  ;  and  that  the  whole  machine  was 

99 


FRAGMENTS  IN  BASKETS 

called  a  "  line  o'  type  "  machine  because  it 
made  them. 

"  Well,"  thought  I,  "  I  am  disappointed ! 
What  is  life  ?     What  does  it  all  end  in "? 
Why   nothing !     Here   I   am,    doing    the 
same  thing  day  after  day,  living  with  the 
same  people  in  the  same  house,  with  the 
same  things  happening  over  and  over  again, 
until  I  am  sick  of  it,  and  no  change  of  any 
sort.    It  is  true  I  sometimes  see  a  friend  or 
neighbour  for  a  few  minutes,  but  their  lives 
are  just  the  same  as  mine.     And  added  to 
this  there's  not  a  day  that  passes  without 
some  suffering,  every  day  brings  us  to  that 
raging  furnace,  and  we  can't  avoid  it.     It's 
all  very  well  for  people  to  say  that  our  lives 
are  of  use,  I  don't  believe  it !  "  said  I  to 
myself;  "  I  shouldn't  mind  half  so  much  if 
I  thought  there  was  any  purpose  in  this 
endless,   weaiy  round,   day  after  day  the 
same.     Indeed,  I  should  be  quite  content 
to  suffer  pain  even,  or  at  least  I  think  I 
should,  if  it  was  of  any  use,  but  it's  all  so 
objectless  and  purposeless,  that  I  lose  all 
heart,  and  really  wish  I  had  never  been, 
made." 


"IN    WAYS  THAT   WE  KNOW  NOT" 

Thus  did  I  grumble  on,  for  at  that  time  I 
was  very  discontented.  I  was  by  no  means 
conscious  of  my  own  insignificance  at  that 
period.  To  myself  I  was  at  that  time  the 
most  important  element  in  the  whole  world. 
Now  I  know  differently,  now  I  realise  how 
small  and  insignificant  I  am.  For  the 
greatness  of  life,  and  the  greatness  of  the 
work  that  is  ceaselessly  going  on  in  the 
world,  when  it  is  rightly  understood,  can- 
not fail  to  make  one  feel  very  small.  And 
strange  as  it  may  seem,  just  as  we  realise 
our  own  insignificance,  which  you  might 
expect  would  make  us  unhappy,  there 
comes  with  it  a  great  content;  at  least,  it 
did  to  me.  I  saw  then  that  a  power  be- 
yond me  and  far  greater  was  making  use  of 
me,  and  I  was  content,  without  knowing 
how,  "to  will  and  to  do  of  his  good 
pleasure." 

But  enlightenment  came  to  me  also. 
Why  we  took  this  weary  round  day  after 
day  was  at  last  explained  to  me. 

One  night  as  the  men  struck  work  a 
large  sheet  of  paper  was  thrown  down  by 
one  of  them  on  our  machine,  and  when  I 

101 


FRAGMENTS  IN  BASKETS 

was  sufficiently  rested  to  look  at  it,  for  we 
had  been  worked  very  hard  that  night,  I 
observed  that  it  was  covered  all  over  in 
regular  lines  with  small  black  marks,  neater, 
smaller,  and  straighter  than  those  on  the 
paper  at  which  the  men  stare  every  night ; 
and  on  looking  more  closely  I  recognised 
every  here  and  there  my  own  likeness,  just 
as  I  had  seen  it  stamped  upon  the  molten 
lead.  This  so  excited  my  curiosity  that  I 
actually  said  out  aloud,  "  Why  I  wonder 
how  I  came  there,  and  what  it  all  is  ?  " 

The  paper  rustled  slightly  and  replied, 
"  I  am  a  newspaper,  I  carry  news  to  every 
one,  and  you  enable  me  to  do  it.  If  it  were 
not  for  you,  I  should  have  no  message  for 
any  one ;  you  and  your  neighbours  are  the 
letters  which  make  me  of  value,  without 
you  I  should  be  a  plain  sheet  of  paper  and 
have  nothing  to  say  to  any  one.  As  it  is, 
I  carry  news  and  information  to  all  sorts  of 
people  and  all  sorts  of  homes.  You  cannot 
think  how  eagerly  I  am  looked  for  and 
read  every  morning,  now  by  a  man  in  busi- 
ness, to  whom  I  tell  whether  he  is  richer  or 
poorer  than  he  was  yesterday — now  by  a 

102 


UIN    WAYS  THAT   WE  KNOW  NOT" 

poor  young  girl  seeking  employment  for 
her  daily  bread — now  by  a  mother  search- 
ing for  tidings  of  her  sailor  boy  and  the 
safety  of  his  ship — now  by  the  sufferer  who 
hears  through  me  of  medical  skill  and  the 
chance  of  renewed  strength  through  the 
kindly  charity  which  supports  our  hospi- 
tals." 

"  But  how  can  you  do  all  this  ? "  I  asked. 
"  Can  you  go  to  so  many  homes  ? " 

"  Oh  dear,  no  ! "  the  paper  exclaimed, 
"  I  am  only  one,  but  there  are  thousands 
more  exactly  like  me,  and  each  one  goes  to 
a  different  place.  Why,  miles  of  paper  are 
used  every  night,  and  every  piece  of  it  is 
covered  with  the  same  news,  so  that  it 
goes  to  many,  many  places." 

"And  do  you  really  mean  that  I  make  it 
possible  for  you  to  carry  all  these  messages 
to  the  different  readers  ?  And  am  I  really 
touching  so  many  lives,  all  unknown  to  my- 
self?" I  gasped. 

"Yes,  indeed,"  he  replied,  "you  have 
no  idea  of  your  influence ;  I  can  only 
influence  the  one  who  happens  to  read  me, 
but  you  are  influencing  every  reader,  for 

103 


your    likeness   is   printed   over   and   over 
again  on  each  of  us." 

"  This  is  indeed  marvellous ! "  I  ex- 
claimed, "but  I  don't  see  how  it  is 
done." 

"  No,  of  course  not,"  replied  the  paper, 
"  because  you  live  all  your  life  here  in  one 
constant  round,  and  never  get  beyond  it, 
but  none  the  less  you  are  doing  a  great 
work — we  don't  always  know  all  we  arc 
doing ;  I  don't  myself,  though  I  have  more 
opportunities  of  knowing  than  you.  Well, 
I  will  explain  to  you.  Every  time  you  are 
pressed  against  the  hot  lead,  which  is  a 
disagreeable  thing,  I  grant,  your  character 
is  being  moulded.  It  is  then  carried  down 
below  in  common  with  the  moulds  of  other 
characters  who  are  your  companions.  These 
are  taken  away  and  placed  in  different 
machines,  and  over  them  there  passes  first 
a  black  mass  and  then  the  white  paper, 
upon  which  each  letter  stands  out  clear  and 
sharp  to  deliver  its  message  to  the  world. 
Your  character  thus  stamped  day  by  day  is 
made  use  of  in  ways  of  which  you  never 

dream,  and  is  always  teaching  its  message 
104 


to  others.  Even  when  you  thought  your 
work  was  done,  the  impression  you  made 
was  carrying  lessons  more  widely  and 
continuously  than  you  could  imagine.  The 
daily  round  is  not  the  whole  of  life,  greater 
issues  hang  upon  your  share  in  it  than  you 
have  any  conception  of." 

"  I  am,  indeed,  astonished !  I  thought 
life  was  one  unceasing  round,  day  after  day 
alike,  with  no  further  result,  and  now  you 
show  me  that  there  has  been  a  purpose  in 
it,  and  that  even  so  insignificant  a  thing 
as  myself  has  something  to  do,  and  can 
carry  an  influence  and  a  message  in  ways 
I  never  dreamt  of!  But  then,"  I  reflected, 
"  it  is  not  I  that  do  it  after  all,  I  am  quite 
unconscious  of  anything  beyond  my  daily 
round,  and  I  am  only  one  of  many,  so  that 
after  all  my  share  is  but  a  small  one." 

"  That  may  be,"  said  the  paper,  "  and  it 
is  not  your  business  to  know  all  the  good 
you  do.  I  don't  suppose  many  of  your 
companions  are  aware  of  their  own  in- 
fluence. Yet  I  can  quite  understand  it  is 
difficult  to  be  contented  with  a  dull  jog- 
trot life  like  yours,  until  you  know  the 

105 


FRAGMENTS  IN  BASKETS 

meaning  of  it,"  he  added,  sympathetically, 
for  he  doubtless  noticed  that  I  was  not 
altogether  consoled  by  his  explanation, 
since  it  seemed  a  little  hard  that  we 
should  never  actually  see  of  the  fruit  of 
our  labours. 

Oddly  enough  that  very  evening  brought 
me  the  comfort  I  sought.  It  was  early, 
the  men  had  all  returned  ready  for  the 
night's  work,  but  they  had  not  begun. 
They  were  sauntering  about  waiting,  I 
think,  for  the  slips  of  paper,  which  each 
mm  sets  up  in  front  of  him,  because, 
presently,  some  one  came  and  gave  them 
each  a  packet  of  such  papers  and  they  set 
to  work  at  once.  Meanwhile,  they  amused 
themselves  by  talking,  and  I  overheard 
the  two  near  me,  and  this  is  what  they 
said. 

"  I  say,  Bill,  do  you  remember  setting 
up  that  bit  about  the  fishing-smack  that 
was  lost  ?  Such  a  curious  thing  happened  ! 
One  of  the  letters  got  wrong  someway, 
an  A  was  left  out,  but  it  made  all  the 
difference  to  a  poor  old  woman  in  our 

street  whose  boy  is  a  sailor,  for  she  read  in 
1 06 


"And  I  overheard  the  two  near  me."— p. 


"IN   WAYS  THAT   WE  KNOW  NOT" 

the  paper  that  the  Ann  was  wrecked 
and  all  hands  lost !  Poor  old  lady,  I 
thought  it  would  have  been  her  death- 
blow, she  took  on  so  !  But  it  was  all 
right  in  the  morning,  when  I  took  her  in 
the  next  day's  paper  and  showed  her  that 
it  should  have  been  printed  Anna,  and  so 
her  son  on  board  the  Ann  was  all  safe. 
It's  amazing  the  difference  that  one  little 
letter  made  in  her  life,  poor  old  soul ! " 

"Yes,"  rejoined  Bill,  "but  I  think  I 
know  something  more  remarkable  still 
which  came  of  the  letter  A.  Do  you 
remember  Tom  Jones,  who  used  to  work 
here  ?  Well,  he's  gone  to  London  now,  on 
a  paper  there;  all  the  spare  time  he's 
got  he  spends  in  preaching.  I  asked  him 
once  what  made  him  take  to  it  ?  And  I 
opened  my  eyes,  you  may  be  sure,  when  he 
answered,  '  The  letter  A.' >J 

"  '  It's  a  queer  story/  said  Tom,  '  but  it's 
true ;  the  letter  A  was  the  letter  that  led 
me  to  my  Saviour.  I  was  in  a  peck  o' 
trouble  at  the  time,  the  missus  and  the 
babes  were  ill  and  I  was  worried,  and  I 

had  less  than  no  hope  to  look  to  anywhere, 

107 


FRAGMENTS  IN  BASKETS 

for  I  didn't  believe  in  religion  and  that 
sort  of  thing.  Well,  one  night  the  paper 
given  me  to  set  up  for  printing  was  about 
a  prize  which  was  offered  to  any  one  who 
could  correctly  tell  the  number  of  A's  in 
the  Book  of  Hosea.  It  struck  me  I  might 
try.  I'd  had  extra  expenses  at  home 
through  illness  and  the  doctor  to  pay,  and 
so  on,  and  my  work  being  amongst  letters 
all  night  I  thought  I  stood  as  good  a  chance 
of  the  prize  as  any  one,  and  so  I  determined 
I'd  go  in  for  it.  I  hoped  to  get  the  money, 
but  I  found  what  was  better  than  silver 
or  gold.  I  found  the  key  to  life.  I  used 
to  fancy  that  life  ended  with  what  you  see, 
and  that  we  made  our  own  lives,  but  that 
little  letter  showed  me  that  we  are  being 
led  by  a  way  that  we  know  not,  and  are  in 
the  hands  of  One  who  orders  all  things  for 
our  good. 

"'It  was  Friday  night  I  set  it  up.  As 
soon  as  we  were  free  I  got  to  work,  and 
by  Saturday  night  my  task  was  done. 
But  as  I  was  counting  the  A's,  one  struck 
me  more  than  the  others  ;  perhaps,  because 

it  was  a  capital,  and  so  I  missed  it  at  first, 
1 08 


"IN    WAYS  THAT   WE  KNOW  NOT" 

having  been  counting  the  small  ones,  and 
had  to  go  back  for  it ;    perhaps,   because 
it    was    an    uncommon   word  —  "Achor." 
"  Achor,"  I  thought,  "  what  a  queer  word  ; 
I  wonder  what  it  means  ? "  and  so  1  turned 
to  the  reference  and  saw  in  Joshua  in  the 
margin,    "  trouble."     Well,    that's    odd,   I 
said  to  myself,  "  the  valley  of  trouble  for  a 
door  of  hope."     I'm   sure   I'm  in  trouble 
enough,   and   yet   I   don't  see  where   the 
hope's  coming  from.    All  day  long  that  word 
Achor  stuck  in  my  mind.     Saturday  night 
I  spent  nursing  my  wife,  and  wondering 
what  sort  of  "  hope  "  there  could  be  for  me, 
with   the   prospect  of  losing   her,  for  she 
was  mortal  bad  that  night.     In  the  morning 
I  got  a  turn  out  of  doors,  and  as  I  passed 
an   open   church-door   with   service  going 
on,    I  thought   I'd  look   in  and   see  if  I 
could  get  any  light  on  my  difficulty  how 
trouble  could  bring  hope.     I  was  late,  and 
the  clergyman  was  in  the  pulpit,  so  I  don't 
know  what  his  text  was.     He  was  talking 
about  Atheism,  and  saying  that  "  a  "  meant 
"  without,"  and  that  without  God  there  was 
no   hope  for  any  man.     He  then  showed 

109 


FRAGMENTS  IN  BASKETS 

that  Christ  was  the  hope  of  every  man,  the 
Alpha  and  Omega,  the  beginning  and  the 
end  of  all  things.  I'd  heard  lots  of  similar 
sermons,  but  you  see  I'd  got  the  letter  A 
in  my  head,  having  counted  so  many  the 
day  before,  and  so  it  struck  me  as  curious 
that  I  should  hear  a  sermon  which  was 
so  much  about  it,  and  it  made  me  listen, 
and  there  I  found  hope,  for  I  found  my 
Saviour.  He  led  me  through  trouble  by  a 
way  that  I  knew  not/  said  Tom  Jones, 
as  he  ended  his  story,  '  and  now  I  feel 
I  cannot  be  silent,  but  must  spend  myself 
for  Him.'" 

"And  so  He  does,"  added  Bill,  as 
he  turned  away  to  receive  his  night's 
work. 

As  for  me,  only  an  ordinary  letter  though 
I  am,  I  felt,  like  Tom  Jones,  that  life  had 
more  in  it  than  I  knew  ;  that  even  trouble 
brought  hope.  No  longer  did  I  think  it 
strange  concerning  the  fiery  trial  which  so 
often  tried  us,  but  gladly  thenceforth  did  I 
go  upon  my  daily  work,  longing  only  for 
the  opportunity  which  is  now  mine  of 
telling  others  how  strangely  mistaken  we 
no 


"IN    WAYS  THAT   WE   KNOW  NOT" 

are  when  we  think  the  influence  of  our  life 
goes  no  farther  than  we  can  see,  forgetting 
that  we  are  all  in  the  hands  of  One,  in 
whom  and  for  whom  all  things  live  and 
move  and  have  their  being. 


in 


ONLY  A  DROP   OF  WATER 


"For  that  one  ripple  on  the  boundless  deep 
Feels  that  the  deep  is  boundless  and  itself 
For  ever-changing  form,  but  evermore 
One  with  the  motion  of  the  boundless  deep* 


ONLY  A   DROP   OF  WATER 


OU  ask  me  of  my  life  ?  Well, 
I  am  only  a  drop  of  water,  but 
my  life  is  one  of  change,  and 
that  without  any  will  of  my 
own,  for  at  one  time  I  am  passing  through 
the  earth,  at  another  through  the  air  ;  at  one 
time  I  am  helping  to  swell  the  noble  river, 
at  another  I  form  part  of  a  cloud.  This 
used  to  trouble  me ;  I  felt  I  was  but  the 
sport  of  circumstances,  and  resented  having 
no  will  of  my  own.  I  did  not  then  realise 
that  I  was  only  part  of  one  great  whole,  and 
that  the  mighty  ocean  which  had  sent  me 
forth  would  one  day  receive  me  again  when 
I  had  accomplished  the  work  to  which  he 
sent  me.  I  will  tell  you  how  this  came  to 
me. 

"5 


FRAGMENTS  IN  BASKETS 

"When  first  I  awoke  to  self- conscious- 
ness, I  was  in  a  garden  on  the  petal  of  a 
rose,  a  glorious  damask  flower  of  deepest 
hue. 

"  '  How  lovely  is  that  rose  ! '  fell  from  the 
lips  of  a  girl  in  the  prime  of  her  maiden 
beauty,  as  she  passed  along  the  garden  walk 
with  her  companion,  a  young  man,  tall  and 
handsome. 

" '  It  is  yours,'  he  replied,  presenting  it 
to  her.  '  How  I  wish  that  I  could  as  easily 
give  you  all  the  flowers  of  life  ! ' 

"'And  with  them  tears  too  ;  for  see/  said 
she,  '  the  dewdrop  sparkling  here.' 

" '  Nay,  give  me  but  the  right,'  he 
pleaded,  '  and  I  will  sweep  all  sorrow  from 
your  path,  as  now  I  sweep  this  dewdrop.' 

"  I  was  gone,  his  rough  hand  dislodged 
me  from  my  resting-place,  and  I  fell  upon 
the  ground,  thinking  as  I  did  so,  '  Then  all 
life  is  beauty,  and  for  tears  there  is  no 
place/" 

A  quiet  room  with  darkened  window  and 
dimmed   light.     On   the   bed    tossed    the 
strong  man  in  the  cruel  grasp  of  fever; 
116 


OXLY  A   DROP   OF   WATER 

by  his  side  sat  the  young  wife,  watching 
through  the  long  night  hours.  Ere  morning 
broke  that  form  was  still,  its  tossing 
ceased,  and  outwardly  there  was  pea^e. 

They  led  her  from  the  room,  no  sound 
came  from  her  lips,  no  tear  fell  from  her 
eyes,  they  trembled  for  her  reason. 

"God  send  her  tears,"  they  cried,  "  or  she 
will  die." 

Ere  yet  another  dawn  their  prayer  was 
answered.  As  they  laid  in  her  arms  the 
little  one  whose  advent  had  been  shadowed 
by  so  great  a  sorrow,  the  flood-gates  opened 
and  I  fell  upon  his  brow,  baptising  him  into 
this  world  of  weeping  with  the  benediction 
of  those  tears  which  it  had  been  his  father's 
fondest  wish  to  banish  from  his  mother's 
path  for  ever.  And  I  felt  that  hearts  have 
need  of  weeping,  as  flowers  have  need  of 
rain. 

Yet  once  again  I  crossed  their  lives.  It 
was  to  mark  the  triumph  of  my  foster-son. 
I  was  in  a  room  of  science,  round  which 
were  ranged  learned  doctors  to  whom  the 
new  invention  was  to  be  explained.  With 

117 


FRAGMENTS  IN  BASKETS 

others  I  was  imprisoned  in  the  boiler  of  an 
engine,  and  we  jostled  one  another  in  our 
eagerness  to  set  it  in  motion  and  be  free. 

In  the  place  of  honour  sat  the  proud 
mother,  and  escaping  from  my  imprison- 
ment I  noted  her  triumphant  look  as  she 
glanced  at  her  son,  whose  face  also  was 
irradiated  with  happiness.  And  I  thought, 
"  How  fleeting  is  beauty,  and  how  passing 
are  tears ;  in  work,  and  work  only,  is  the 
satisfaction  of  the  heart." 

"  I  was  wrong.  I  had  not  fully  learnt  my 
lesson  yet.  Work  only  cannot  satisfy  the 
heart  nor  irradiate  the  face.  Work  paints 
strong  and  dusky  lines  of  toil  there,  but 
rounds  them  not  to  curves  of  happiness. 
Mere  toil,  however  arduous  or  honourable, 
cannot  fill  the  life.  Work  only  brings  satis- 
faction when  we  can  lose  ourselves  in  it — 
when  in  it  we  can  bury  our  whole  heart 
wide  and  warm,  so  that  it  throbs  in  unison 
with  all  creation.  I  learned  this  later." 

Once  more  there  is  a  form  upon  the  bed, 
from  which  the  life  is  passing.  The  day 

118 


ONLY  A    DROP  OF   WATER 

has  come  when  she  too  must  quit  her 
earthly  tabernacle.  By  her  side  sits  the 
son,  his  hand  in  hers,  and  from  her  lips 
there  fall  the  words  :  "  My  Father  worketh 
hitherto,  and  shall  not  we  ?  Work  on,  my 
son ;  my  time  is  almost  o'er,  there  is  little 
more  that  I  can  do  for  Him.  He  has 
taught  me  many  lessons,  but  foremost  of 
them  all  is  this,  that  true  happiness  is 
independent  of  the  change  of  circumstances 
and  can  only  be  found  in  union  with  Him. 
He  may  send  joy,  He  may  send  sorrow,  or 
His  most  blessed  gift  of  healthy  toil,  but 
these  are  fleeting  in  a  life  of  change.  They 
only  can  bring  joy  as  we  realise  that  we  are 
one  with  Him,  that  round  us,  through  it  all, 
are  the  Everlasting  Arms,  and  that  when 
the  stream  of  our  life  shall  run  low,  it  is  but 
to  lose  itself  in  the  ocean  of  His  love.  'All 
creation  travaileth  together  till  that  day, 
the  day  of  the  coming  of  the  Lord,  when  the 
earth  shall  be  full  of  the  glory  of  the  Lord 
as  the  waters  cover  the  sea.' ' 

"Yes !  I  know  it  now,  though  work,  work 

evermore,  is  my  unceasing  portion.     First, 

119 


FRAGMENTS  IN  BASKETS 

as  the  gentle  dewdrop  adding  depth  and 
brightness  to  the  petal  of  the  flower  ;  then 
sinking  to  the  earth  again  to  be  absorbed 
and  find  new  birth  as  dew  from  human 
eyes,  giving  grace  and  tenderness  to  life ; 
returning  yet  once  more  to  earth,  there 
side  by  side  with  others  working  in 
increasing  stream  to  refresh  the  thirsty 
toilers  on  her  breast.  Work  !  yes  for  all 
creation  worketh  together  until  now. 
Work !  yes,  it  is  the  heaven-bestowed 
dowry  of  all  the  sons  of  men.  Yes  work, 
but  work  with  a  purpose,  and  that  pur- 
pose God's.  Work  in  one  unceasing  round 
as  from  dew  to  rivulet,  and  rivulet  to 
stream,  and  stream  to  ocean,  I  fulfil  my 
Maker's  bidding,  till  at  His  word  I  return 
to  Him  who  made  me." 


120 


FOR  THE  MASTER'S  USE 


"  Esteeming  sorrow,  whose  employ 
In  to  develops,  not  destroy, 
Far  better  than  a  barren  joy* 


FOR  THE  MASTER'S  USB 

OW  delightful  it  is  to  be  at 
rest  at  last!  and  how  soft 
is  this  delicious  cotton  wool ! 
just  the  place  I  should  have 
chosen  to  rest  in  after  all  that  I  have 
suffered.  I  feel  as  though  I  could  gladly 
remain  here  for  ever,"  soliloquised  a 
beautiful  Diamond  as  it  lay  in  the 
jeweller's  drawer.  "  It  is  rather  dark 
though,  and  very  lonely,"  it  added  after 
some  time.  "  I  wish  I  had  some  one 
to  talk  to,"  but  just  at  that  moment  it 
felt  itself  rudely  jerked  about  and  bathed 
in  a  flood  of  light,  for  some  one  had  opened 
the  drawer.  A  large  hand  hung  over 
it  and  dropped  other  objects  into  the 
drawer  and  then  pushed  it  to,  yet  not  so 

123 


FRAGMENTS  IN  BASKETS 

vlosely  as  to  exclude  all  light.  Being  a 
very  brilliant  gem  and  able  to  concentrate 
and  reflect  the  light,  the  diamond  soon 
discovered  that  it  was  no  longer  alone. 

Two  others  now  shared  his  solitude, 
both  were  to  him  unknown,  and  it  was 
with  some  curiosity  and  wonder  that  he 
observed  them.  One  was  about  his  own 
size,  but  quite  different  in  shape,  being 
smooth  and  round,  whilst  he  was  all 
angles  and  edges ;  it  was  like  him  in 
being  white,  but  the  white  was  so  different, 
not  clear  and  bright,  but  soft  and  milky. 
The  other  was  far  larger  than  either  of 
them,  and  of  a  lovely  yellow  colour,  but 
of  no  special  form ;  he  heard  a  voice  say 
"Gold"  as  it  was  dropped  into  the  drawer, 
so  that  he  guessed  that  was  its  name. 

By  way  of  beginning  conversation,  he 
remarked,  "  I  hope  you  find  this  soft  bed 
pleasant  to  rest  upon  ;  I  was  just  rejoicing 
in  it  when  you  joined  me." 

"  I  do,  indeed,"  they  ejaculated  together, 
"we  are  glad  to  get  apart  and  rest 
awhile." 

"  As  for  me,"  said  the  Diamond,  "  I 
124 


FOR   THE   MASTER'S   USE 

should  be  content,  I  think,  to  remain  here 
for  ever.  I  don't  believe  any  one  ever 
suffered  as  I  did." 

"  I  am,  indeed,  sorry  to  hear  you  speak 
so,"  politely  sympathised  the  Gold.  "  I 
have  been  a  severe  sufferer  myself,  so  I 
can  judge  what  you  must  have  felt,  but  I 
hardly  think  this  can  be  the  end.  It  is 
pleasant  to  be  here  for  a  time,  but  surely 
there  must  be  something  else  in  store  for 
us  after  all  the  preparation  we  have  been 
through." 

"  And  I,  too,"  chimed  in  the  smooth 
white  ball,  "  have  suffered  loss  and  been 
torn  from  home  and  kindred ;  my  home  is 
far,  i'ar  away  below  the  restless,  roaring 
sea." 

"Indeed,"  replied  the  Diamond,  "I  should 
like  to  hear  about  your  home,  for  I  was 
never  in  the  sea.  I  saw  it  once,  for  I  was 
brought  here  in  a  large  boat,  but  that  was 
I  before  my  trials  began,  when  I  took  life 
pretty  much  as  it  came,  and  did  not  trouble 
my  head  about  what  it  meant,  and  why 
things  happened.  Do  tell  me  all  about  it ; 

but,  first,  what  is  your  name  ?  " 

125 


FRAGMENTS  IN  BASKETS 

"  They  call  me  Pearl,"  she  replied,  "  and 
if  you  wish  it,  I  shall  be  very  happy  to  tell 
you  of  my  life.  But  you  must  both  tell 
me  yours  afterwards,  it  will  help  to  while 
away  the  time,  for,  as  the  Gold  has  said,  I 
do  not  believe  this  is  the  end,  we  are  only 
waiting  here  for  a  little  rest  before  the 
jeweller  makes  use  of  us." 

As  both  the  Diamond  and  the  Gold 
agreed  to  this  proposal,  the  Pearl  began  : 
"  You  must  know  that  I  was  not  always 
as  you  see  me  now.  I  am  all  that  is 
left  of  what  is  called  an  oyster,  and 
though  the  jeweller  now  values  me  highly, 
it  is  only  for  what  he  has  done  for  me. 
There  was  a  time  in  my  young  days  when 
it  was  just  the  reverse,  and  every  one 
looked  down  upon  me,  and  despised  me, 
and  thought  that  I  should  never  be  of  any 
good." 

"  We  all  lived  far  down  below  the  sea. 
There  were  many  of  us,  and  a  merry 
time  we  had  ;  numbers  of  fish  came  and 
went,  and  though  we  remained  where  we 
were,  they  brought  us  news  of  all  that 
passed :  so  we  had  plenty  to  chat  about. 
126 


FOR   THE   MASTER'S    USE 

Some  of  my  family  were  very  vain.  1 
don't  rnind  confessing  that  I  was  too.  I 
was  young,  and  plump,  and  took  great 
pride  in  my  shell.  You  must  know  that 
our  shell  was  supposed  to  be  our  chief 
beauty.  I  know  better  now.  But  at 
that  time  we  thought  less  about  beauty  in 
ourselves  than  in  our  surroundings,  and 
our  great  care  was  to  cover  our  houses 
with  brightness  and  smooth  away  all  the 
fretting  roughnesses  that  would  worry  us 
arid  make  life  painful.  We  have  a 
peculiar  gift  by  which  we  are  able  to  do 
this  :  a  fluid  which  we  spread  over  our 
shells,  and  at  that  time  I  thought  this  was 
the  best  use  to  which  it  could  be  put. 
Experience  taught  me  another  purpose 
for  it,  and  life  gave  it  new  meaning ;  but 
you  will  see  that  as  I  go  on.  One  special 
day  marks  a  change.  From  that  day  I 
began  to  think  more  about  what  I  was  and 
less  of  what  others  thought  of  me.  It  all 
arose  out  of  a  very  simple  affair ;  some- 
thing strange  came  into  my  shell,  and 
with  a  sharp  pang  of  pain  I  suddenly 

closed  it. 

127 


FRAGMENTS  IN  BASKETS 

"  After  a  little  while  I  cautiously  opened 
it  again,  and  endeavoured  to  get  rid  of 
this  horrid  thing  which  troubled  me.  But 
no  !  it  would  not  go  ;  the  more  I  tried  the 
more  it  pained  me,  until  at  last  I  could 
not  open  my  shell  at  all.  Of  what  use 
then  was  all  its  beauty  ?  I  could  display 
it  now  no  more.  My  friends  and  com- 
panions thought  at  first  that  I  was  sulky 
and  gave  me  no  sympathy.  Afterwards 
they  said  it  was  a  disease.  I  was 
'  smitten '  and  '  afflicted,'  and  they  gave 
me  what  was  worse  than  no  sympathy, 
they  gave  me  contempt.  I  was  looked 
down  on  and  despised.  I  fretted  con- 
tinually at  first,  and  lost  all  my  plumpness 
and  colour.  I  struggled  constantly  against 
my  fate,  and  the  more  I  struggled,  the 
more  I  suffered  until  at  last  in  despair  I 
gave  it  up.  It  was  then,  just  at  the  depth 
of  my  despair,  that  I  found  escape.  The 
moment  I  ceased  to  rebel  and  accepted  my 
lot  it  became  less  hard,  and  the  gift,  of 
which  I  spoke  just  now,  helped  me.  I 
used  to  think  that  soft  and  beautiful  liquid 
was  given  for  our  enjoyment  solely,  and  as 
128 


FOR   THE   MASTER'S   USE 

long  as  everything  was  bright  and  comfort- 
able it  almost  looked  like  it.  There 
seemed  no  great  wrong  in  being  happy  and 
delighting  in  my  own  beauty.  I  thought 
it  was  the  end  of  life  and  I  was  quite 
content.  But  when  this  trouble  fell  upon 
me  my  content  was  gone.  For  a  long 
time  it  seemed  as  though  I  should  never 
again  be  happy,  and  it  was  only  after  I  had 
determined  to  give  up  struggling  and 
to  make  the  best  of  it,  accepting  the  loss 
of  my  beauty,  that  contentment  returned. 
The  fluid  which  I  had  used  to  cover  my 
shell  now  began  to  cling  round  the 
intruder  which  had  caused  me  so  much 
suffering,  until  at  last  I  grew  quite  used  to 
it  and  felt  hardly  any  pain.  Then  it  was 
that  I  became  conscious  of  the  contempt 
of  my  former  friends,  for  the  lump  had 
grown  so  large  that  whenever  I  opened  my 
shell  they  saw  it,  and  not  having  one 
themselves  they  looked  down  upon  me  and 
said  many  very  unkind  things  which  hurt 
me  terribly.  But  my  day  of  triumph  was 
coming ! 

"  It  had  long  been  a  story  with   us,  how 
i  129 


FRAGMENTS  IN  BASKETS 

ages  before,  from  the  world  above  us,  there 
had  come  down  One  who  had  gone  about 
amongst  our  ancestors,  selecting  some  and 
leaving  others.  He  had  taken  away  with 
him  those  whom  he  had  chosen.  We  all 
thought  it  more  or  less  of  a  fable,  yet  we 
had  always  talked  as  though  it  were  true, 
and  had  all  confessed  an  eager  desire  to  see 
more  of  the  wonders  above,  and  had  often 
speculated  as  to  which  of  us  would  be  chosen 
when  he  came  again.  Many  had  assured 
me  that  I  should  be  one,  as  my  shell  was 
so  smooth  and  so  brilliant,  and  my  keenest 
pang  was  now  caused  by  the  knowledge 
that  all  agreed  in  considering  my  chance 
quite  gone  since  this  lump  had  grown. 
When  therefore  we  were  all  thrown  into 
excited  commotion  by  the  appearance  of  a 
large  dark  object  in  the  water,  and  knew 
that  the  day  of  which  we  had  long  dreamed 
was  come  at  last,  I  closed  my  shell  tightly  to 
hide  what  I  looked  upon  as  my  deformity. 
But  it  was  of  no  use,  I  was  picked  up,  my 
shell  forced  open,  I  just  heard  the  words, 
'  This  will  do,  it  is  a  beauty  ;  truly  perfect,' 
and  I  was  flung  into  a  basket  and  felt  my- 
130 


FOR  THE   MASTER'S   USE 

self  going  upward,  upward,  and  knew  then 
that  I  had  been  chosen. 

"  In  our  journey  I  had  time  to  look 
about  me,  and  found  the  basket  filled  with 
numbers  of  other  oysters,  and  all  like  me, 
were  afflicted,  as  I  thought.  Every  one  ol 
them  had  lumps,  some  quite  small  ones, 
others  larger,  but  none  so  large  as  mine. 
No  one  knew  where  we  were  going  or  what 
was  to  be  our  fate.  This  damped  our 
triumph  somewhat,  and  our  hopes  were 
further  quenched  when  we  left  the  water 
and  found  ourselves  piled  together  in  a  mass 
upon  a  sloping  bed  of  sand.  I  thought  I  had 
suffered  enough  already,  but  it  was  nothing 
to  what  now  befell  me.  Day  after  day  we 
were  left  on  the  hot  and  blistering  sand, 
without  one  drop  of  water  ;  our  shells 
gaped  with  the  heat,  and  the  wider  we 
opened  them  the  more  we  suffered.  Truly 
I  envied  my  fellows  whom  I  had  left  in 
the  cool  delicious  sea,  and  could  have 
wished  myself  back  again,  but  that  I 
still  hoped  there  was  something  better  in 
store  for  me.  My  contentment  was  all 
gone,  and  in  about  a  week  there  was 


FRAGMENTS  IN  BASKETS 

nothing  left  of  me  but  the  poor  despised 
lump.  Then,  to  my  intense  surprise,  I 
saw  that  it  must  have  been  for  this  that  I 
was  valued,  since  my  shell  and  all  else  was 
thrown  away.  I  next  found  myself  in  my 
captor's  hands  being  placed  in  a  round  hole 
in  a  piece  of  wood,  and,  oh  joy!  I- was 
plunged  into  the  water  again.  It  was 
delicious  !  How  I  revelled  in  it ! 

"  But  a  strange  thing  happened  :  the 
wood  came  closer  and  closer,  and  at  last 
pinched  me  so  tightly  that  I  could  have 
screamed.  When  I  thought  I  could 
endure  it  no  longer  the  wood  and  I  were 
lifted  out  of  the  water,  and  then  began  a 
horrid  process.  I  was  rubbed  violently 
with  a  white  powder,  which  I  found  to  be 
made  of  the  smallest  pearls  ground  to  a 
very  fine  dust,  and  though  it  increased  my 
smoothness  and  brilliancy  it  was  most  un- 
pleasant to  bear.  That  is  the  whole  of  my 
story.  I  have  lost  everything,  first  beauty, 
then  health,  then  friends,  last  of  all  my 
home  was  taken  from  me,  and  only  that 
left  which  I  had  thought  my  greatest  dis- 
figurement. *  Even  then  I  suffered  agonies 


FOR   THE   MASTER'S   USE 

in  being  polished  and  rubbed  by  my 
fellows,  and  only  now  do  I  begin  to  taste 
of  peace." 

"  You  are  indeed  very  beautiful,"  put  in 
the  Diamond,  whereat  the  Pearl  blushed  a 
rosy  red. 

"  Such  beauty  as  I  have  was  given  me 
by  the  Jeweller  who  brought  upon  me  all 
these  changes.  I  was  not  ever  thus  ;  but 
now  it  is  your  turn,  tell  me  of  yourself," 
she  said,  turning  to  the  Diamond. 

"  In  many  things  my  experience  re- 
sembles yours,"  said  the  Diamond,  "  it  is 
true  it  was  shorter,  but  I  think  it  was 
sharper  also.  Until  a  few  months  ago 
my  life  was  very  quiet  and  uneventful. 
You  must  know  I  was  not  as  you  see  me 
now,  but  rough  and  dull-looking  and  of  no 
particular  attractiveness.  Indeed  it  sur- 
prises me,  now  I  come  to  think  of  it,  why 
the  Jeweller  should  have  picked  me  out 
from  amongst  hundreds  of  others  all  more 
or  less  alike.  He  must  be  wonderfully 
clever  to  know  what  is  in  us  as  he  does ! 
Well,  he  brought  me  home  with  others 

133 


FRAGMENTS  IN  BASKETS 

across  the  sea,  and  I  was  pleased  enough 
to  see  more  of  the  world.  At  times  he 
would  take  us  out  of  the  soft  green  bag  in 
which  we  lived  and  show  us  to  his  friends. 
I  could  not  help  noticing  that  though 
there  were  stones  of  other  colours  with  us, 
they  gave  me  the  most  attention,  and 
when  they  discussed  about  a  '  rose- 
diamond  '  and  a  '  brilliant '  I  thought  they 
spoke  of  our  colour,  but  I  know  better 
now.  I  quickly  gathered  that  a  '  brilliant ' 
was  the  most  valued,  and  I  determined 
that  I  was  a  '  brilliant '  for  I  could  see  I 
was  quite  colourless  and  unlike  the  rosy 
rubies ;  but  I  little  knew  all  that  was 
meant  by  becoming  a  '  brilliant.'  I  was 
quite  satisfied  with  myself  as  I  was — I 
knew  no  better — and  when  they  knocked 
me  against  hard  corners  and  tried  to 
scratch  me,  I  resisted  with  all  my  might. 
I  rebelled  against  the  rough  treatment, 
and  rejoiced  when  they  spoke  of  my  hard- 
ness. I  thought  it  was  a  virtue  and  I 
gloried  in  it.  But  I  learnt  differently,  it 
cost  me  pain  enough  by-and-by. 

"When    we   reached   land   and   I    was 
134 


FOR  THE  MASTER'S   USE 

next  taken  out  of  the  bag  it  was  in  a  dull 
little  room,  where  I  noticed  they  talked 
more  distinctly  of  my  being  a  '  brilliant ' 
presently,  and  spoke  of  '  cutting '  me,  and 
then  of  '  polishing,'  after  which  they  said 
I  should  be  ready  for  the  Jeweller's  use. 
I  had  no  idea  what  they  meant,  but  I  was 
not  left  long  in  ignorance.  I  felt  myself 
firmly  fixed,  and  then  piece  by  piece  was 
taken  from  me  till  I  was  left  little  more 
than  half  the  size  I  was  originally.  I 
cannot  tell  the  agonies  I  suffered ! 

"  I  thought  it  would  never  end,  first  one 
side  was  cut,  then  another  and  another, 
until  I  felt  as  if  there  would  be  nothing 
left  and  life  was  over  for  me  at  last ! 
Bitterly  did  I  regret  my  wish  to  be  a 
'  brilliant '  for  I  found  that  '  brilliant '  and 
'  rose  '  are  only  two  different  names  which 
they  give  to  diamonds  according  to  the  way 
they  cut  them,  and  the  rose  does  not  suffer 
so  much,  as  it  is  not  so  much  cut  about. 
At  the  same  time  I  must  admit  that  they 
said  only  the  very  best  quality  of  stone 
would  stand  the  amount  of  cutting  necessary 
to  make  it  a  '  brilliant.'  But  it  was  too  late 

US 


FRAGMENTS  IN  BASKETS 

now  ;  I  could  only  submit,  and  I  know  I 
ought  to  have  been  proud  and  happy  to 
think  that  I  was  allowed  to  undergo  all  this, 
for  some  of  the  smaller  stones  that  came 
over  with  me  were  simply  pounded  up  in 
a  steel  mortar  and  used  to  polish  others 
with, — just  as  your  small  relations  were," 
added  the  Diamond,  turning  to  the  Pearl. 
"  Doubtless  their  lives  were  equally  useful, 
though  not  so  honoured,  and  as  we  did  not 
make  our  own  but  were  chosen  by  the 
Jeweller  himself,  we  may  rejoice  and  be 
thankful  that  he  has  so  honoured  us.  I 
could  not  help  seeing  now  that  they  had 
cut  away  my  earthy  outside,  that  I  was 
more  admired  than  ever,  and  strange 
to  say,  I  gathered  that  the  more  I  was 
cut  the  more  the  Jeweller  would  value  me, 
even  though  my  size  were  less. 

"  This  puzzled  me  very  much  at  first, 
but  I  know  why  it  is  now,  every  cut 
means  a  new  side  from  which  to  reflect 
light  and  brilliance  ;  the  more  sides  I  have, 
the  more  I  shine. 

"  But  you  must  not  think  this  was  all 
that  I  suffered  or  that  I  shone  all  at  once ; 
136 


FOR   THE   MASTER'S   USE 

oh  no !  I  had  more  to  undergo.  The 
powdered  diamonds  were  rubbed  against 
me  again  and  again  till  I  flashed  out  in 
agony,  and  as  they  rubbed  they  searched 
me  eagerly  to  see  how  I  stood  it,  and 
whether  any  flaw  or  imperfection  would 
be  revealed.  The  more  they  rubbed,  the 
more  I  flashed  back,  till  at  last  they 
pronounced  me  '  brilliant '  indeed,  and 
flung  me  into  this  delightful  softness, 
where  I  was  thankfully  reposing  when 
you  joined  me.  You  seem  to  think  that 
this  is  not  the  end,  for  myself  I  hope  it  is, 
I  am  so  tired." 

"  Oh,  no  !  "  rejoined  the  Pearl,  "  you  are 
far  too  lovely  to  be  shut  up  here  in  the 
dark  ;  you  must  show  others  how  beautiful 
you  have  become  ;  you  must  shine  as  the 
stars  for  ever." 

"That  will  be  as  the  Jeweller  orders," 
said  the  Diamond ;  and  turning  to  the 
Gold,  he  added,  "it  is  your  turn  now." 

"  My  life,  like  both  of  yours,  has  been 

f  11  of  changes,"  sighed   the   Gold,    "but 

nlike    you    I    have    not    gained   by    it. 

'37 


FRAGMENTS  IN  BASKETS 

I  observe  that  each  of  you  is  conscious 
of  improvement,  whereas  I  am  only  an 
unformed  useless  mass  without  light  or 

O 

brilliancy." 

"  Do  not  say  that,"  softly  interposed  the 
Pearl,  "your  colour  is  lovely,  so  rich,  so 
mellow,  so  much  more  glorious  than  any  I 
can  show." 

"  Or  I  either,"  said  the  Diamond. 

"  Well,  it  is  kind  of  you  to  say  so,  but, 
like  yourselves,  I  must  acknowledge  that 
an}7  beauty  you  find  in  me  is  not  really 
mine,  but  is  the  work  of  the  Jeweller.  I 
can  claim  nothing  of  my  own,  indeed  the 
only  virtue  I  possess  is  that  I  am  the  most 
docile  of  all  metals  and  the  least  volatile. 
I  heard  the  Jeweller  say  that  it  was  on 
this  account  that  he  selected  me,  because 
he  could  make  of  me  the  most  readily 
what  he  wished,  and  that  I  should  lose 
nothing,  no  matter  in  how  fierce  a  heat  he 
tried  me. 

"  When  I  first  came  into  his  possession, 

I   was  embedded  in  a  part  of  the  earth, 

which   I   believe   is   called    rock.     It  had 

always  been  my  home  and  always  would 

138 


FOR  THE  MASTER'S   USE 

be,  so  I  thought,  and  I  was  very  well 
content.  I  had  no  wish  for  higher  things 
like  the  Pearl,  and  would  gladly  have 
escaped  suffering  if  I  could.  The  first 
thing  required  of  me  was  to  come  out  ot 
my  earthy  surroundings  and  be  separated. 
To  achieve  this  I  was  cruelly  crushed  by 
huge  piles  of  wood  shod  with  iron  which 
were  driven  down  upon  me  by  machinery, 
and  which  there  was  no  means  of  avoid- 
ing. I  noticed  how  the  rocky  matter  split 
and  cracked,  and  how  readily  it  parted 
from  me,  and  was  washed  away,  whilst 
I  remained  caught  in  the  hairy  surface  of  a 
blanket.  Not  a  scrap  of  me  was  lost ;  and 
though  I  was  sadly  beaten  and  battered 
about  T  was  not  yet  freed  from  all  im- 
purity. 

"  I  was  a  little  consoled  after  this, 
for  my  closest  friend,  another  mineral 
called  mercury,  for  whom  I  have  the 
greatest  possible  liking,  joined  me,  and  I 
eagerly  rushed  to  greet  him,  leaving  all 
else  behind  and  throwing  myself  upon  him 
in  a  close  embrace.  But  we  were  not  to 
enjoy  it  long  ;  they  soon  parted  us,  draw- 

139 


FRAGMENTS  IN  BASKETS 

ing  off  my  only  friend  by  a  mysterious 
process  which  I  think  they  call  distilling. 
I  cannot  explain  it,  I  only  know  I  lost 
him  ;  he  grew  fainter  and  fainter  in  spite 
of  my  clinging,  and  at  last  floated  quite 
away,  leaving  me  worse  off  than  ever,  for  I 
was  now  nothing  but  a  fine  powder  of  a 
dull  brown  colour,  no  better  than  the 
earth  from  which  I  was  taken.  Ah,  how  I 
sighed  for  my  quiet  home  !  How  I  pitted 
myself  thus  uprooted,  crushed,  robbed  of 
friends  and  acquaintance,  reduced  to  less 
than  nothing,  useless  !  So  I  thought,  for 
I  did  not  know  that  the  object  of  all  this 
painful  discipline  was  just  the  reverse,  and 
that  only  through  suffering  could  I  be 
perfected. 

"  But  all  was  not  yet  over.  '  I  will 
purely  purge  away  thy  dross  and  take 
away  all  thy  tin,'  '  I  will  sit  as  a  purifier 
and  refiner  and  purge  thee,'  said  the 
Jeweller,  and  my  pain  began  anew.  I  was 
flung  into  a  biting  cruel  acid  ;  I  seemed  to 
lose  my  very  identity.  I  changed  colour, 
and  just  as  I  felt  I  could  bear  it  no  longer 
and  gave  myself  up  for  lost,  all  was 
140 


FOR   THE   MASTER'S   USE 

changed  in  a  moment,  and  once  again  I  was 
a  dull  brown  powder.  It  is  not  pleasant 
to  feel  oneself  reduced  to  nothing  in  this 
way  ;  it  is  most  humbling ;  and  a  trial 
through  which  neither  of  you  have  passed, 
I  think,  so  you  can  hardly  know  what  it  is 
like.  I  thought  that  now  at  last  I  might 
rest — but  no.  I  was  carefully  gathered 
up  and  placed  in  an  iron  vessel  upon  a 
terrible  furnace,  which  raged  with  such 
cruel  heat  that  I  dissolved  into  fluid  and 
turned  a  greenish  blue.  I  had  no  more 
strength  left  in  me.  But  like  you,"  he 
added,  turning  to  the  Pearl,  "  at  the 
moment  when  I  felt  all  was  lost  I  was 
nearest  to  relief.  I  was  removed  from  the 
furnace,  poured  out  and  left  to  cool,  and 
on  coming  to  my  senses  found  myself  as 
you  now  see  me." 

"  Your  experience  has  indeed  been 
varied,"  said  the  Diamond.  "  It  all  seems 
very  puzzling  to  me.  You  were  chosen 
because  you  would  lose  nothing  ;  I  gained 
by  loss :  you  were  soft  and  docile ;  in  me 

hardness  was  a  virtue.     I  should  like  to 

141 


FRAGMENTS  IN  BASKETS 

know   what  is  your  opinion  about  it  all, 
and  how  you  understand  life." 

"One  thing,"  replied  the  Gold,  "  is 
quite  clear;  we  have  all  been  brought 
through  great  suffering  of  various  kinds  to 
a  new  state  of  being,  and  it  is  a  very 
different  state  from  our  previous  one.  It 
is  also  clear  that  the  discipline  used  to 
perfect  us  was  just  the  one  best  suited 
to  attain  its  end  and  calculated  most  surely 
to  turn  our  defects  into  virtues.  Had  I 
been  treated  as  the  Diamond,  my  softness 
and  docility  would  have  caused  much  loss 
in  value  ;  yet  the  hardness  of  the  Diamond 
was  the  very  thing  that  made  his  treat- 
ment effectual  to  his  perfecting.  Truly 
the  Jeweller  is  all  wise,  '  he  knoweth 
whereof  we  are  made,'  and  gives  to  each  of 
us  the  experience  most  efficacious  to  change 
the  ugliness  which  was  ours  by  nature 
into  beauty.  You,  dear  Pearl,  have  been 
afflicted-  with  disease  and  the  contempt  of 
friends  ;  the  Diamond  has  suffered  loss  to 
the  half  of  all  he  possessed  ;  whilst  I  have 
been  through  every  conceivable  change,  so 
bewildering  in  character  that  only  now  can 
142 


FOR   THE  MASTER'S   USE 

I  begin  to  think  of  it  calmly.  One  thing 
I  see  quite  clearly,  we  all  had  blemishes  in 
ourselves  by  nature  which  we  could  not 
have  got  rid  of  without  the  Jeweller's 
help.  In  our  original  state  we  were  each 
devoid  of  beauty,  and  but  for  the  Jeweller 
who  brought  all  these  influences  upon 
us,  painful  though  they  were,  we  should 
have  remained  unfruitful  and  should  have 
merited  no  praise  but  rather  blame." 

"Well,"  said  the  Diamond,  "that  is 
true,  but  is  there  any  purpose  in  it  ? " 

"  Surely,"  replied  the  Gold.  "  We  all 
agree,  do  we  not  ?  that  what  we  have  gone 
through  is  preparation,  and  preparation  of 
our  very  selves.  It  must  be  for  some 
purpose  that  he  sought  each  of  us  out  in 
such  different  ways,  and  from  such  dif- 
ferent circumstances,  and  prepared  us  for 
himself;  he  must  have  some  work  or  place 
for  us  by-and-by  for  which  he  has  so  care- 
fully fitted  us." 

"  I  hope  so,'"'  said  the  Pearl.  "  I  should 
like  to  have  the  opportunity  of  showing  to 
others  all  that  he  has  done  for  me.  It 
would  help  them  to  see  what  his  wisdom 


FRAGMENTS  IN  BASKETS 

can  make  of  the  most  unpromising  ma- 
terials, and  our  only  way  of  thanking  him 
is  to  let  others  see  the  beauty  he  has 
given  us." 

As  the  Pearl  uttered  these  words  the 
drawer  was  again  opened,  and  they  heard 
the  voice  of  the  Jeweller  speaking : 
"  These  are  my  most  beautiful  gems,  they 
are  nearly  perfect.  This  Diamond  and 
Pearl  are  almost  faultless,  they  will  shine 
with  a  light  above  the  brightness  of  the 
sun  in  the  day  when  I  make  up  my  jewels. 
The  Gold,  too,  is  pure  gold,  tried  in  the 
fire ;  it  is  the  best  and  most  useful  servant 
that  I  have,  indeed  I  could  do  little  with- 
out it, — even  my  brightest,  purest  gems 
would  lack  half  their  beauty  had  I  no  gold 
in  which  to  set  them,  so  true  is  it  that '  the 
greatest  is  he  who  doth  serve.' ' 

Soon  after  this  their  repose  was  again 
broken,  and  their  lives  were  separated. 
The  Diamond  and  Pearl  once  more  re- 
cognised each  other  in  the  same  piece 

of  jewelry   as   it   was   clasped   round  the 
144 


FOR   THE  MASTER'S   USE 

arm  of  a  beautiful  girl  by  her  fond  lover. 
For  the  Gold  a  nobler  service  was  re- 
served. A  plain  and  unpretentious  ring 
was  made  of  it,  and  when  next  the  three 
met  together  the  ring  was  on  the  girl's 
finger  binding  two  hearts  in  one  by  a  life- 
long troth. 


THE   SPARROW   AND   THE 
CUCKOO'S   EGG 


Out  present  holds  our  future." 


THE   SPARROW   AND    THE 
CUCKOO'S   EGG 

PRING-TIME  at  last!  How 
delightful  it  is  to  feel  the  sun 
after  the  long  cold  winter, 
when  it  was  so  hard  to  find 
anything  to  eat,  and  even  the  worms  would 
not  come  out  of  the  hard  ground  !  How 
delightful  to  feel  the  sun  shining  warmly 
on  your  back  whilst  you  smooth  out  your 
feathers  and  sharpen  your  bill  against  a 
twig  and  make  ready  to  enjoy  the  day ! " 

So  thought  a  fine  young  sparrow  as  she 
sat  on  the  branch  of  an  oak-tree  one  morn- 
ing in  February. 

"  I  cannot  think  what  the  winter  is  for," 
she  murmured  to  herself  discontentedly ; 
"  it  is  so  cold  and  gloomy,  and  all  the  land 

149 


FRAGMENTS  IN  BASKETS 

looks  so  white  it  makes  your  eyes  ache  to 
look  at  the  snow,  and  it  is  such  hard  work 
to  find  any  food.  Mother  says  the  winter 
is  necessary,  I  know,  and  that  the  snow 
keeps  things  warm,  and  that  we  should 
never  have  any  delightful  spring  if  we  did 
not  go  through  the  winter  first ;  and  of 
course  mother  has  been  through  several 
winters,  and  this  is  only  my  first,  but  all 
the  same  I  don't  believe  she  knows.  Old 
people  always  think  they  know  everything, 
but  I  must  say  I  don't  see  why  we  need 
have  any  winter  at  all.  If  I  had  arranged 
things  it  should  only  be  spring-time  and 
summer — oh  yes,  and  autumn  too,  because 
there  are  so  many  nice  berries  to  eat  then, 
but  never  winter."  So  saying,  she  flew 
down  to  the  smooth  lawn  where  she  had 
caught  sight  of  a  nice  tender  young  worm, 
which  made  a  tempting  breakfast. 

Brighteyes,  as  our  friend  was  called,  had 
been  born  a  year  ago,  and  this  was  her  first 
spring.  She  had  not  had  much  experience 
of  life  yet,  and,  as  we  have  heard,  she  was 
not  very  willing  to  take  lessons  from  the 
wisdom  and  experience  of  others.  Her 
150 


THE  SPARROW  AND  THE  CUCKOO'S  EGG 

mother,  who  was  a  wise  old  sparrow,  was 
often  very  anxious  about  her  daughter. 
She  was  so  pretty,  her  shape  was  so  comely, 
her  feathers  so  soft  and  so  smooth,  her  feet 
so  trim,  her  beak  so  polished,  and,  above 
all,  her  eyes  so  bright,  that  she  had  many 
admirers;  and  as  St.  Valentine's  Day  was 
so  near,  when  the  little  sparrows  seek 
to  begin  life  for  themselves  and  make 
a  home  together  in  a  cosy  little  nest 
of  their  own,  it  is  no  wonder  that  her 
mother  should  be  doubly  anxious  that 
she  should  choose  a  steady  young  bird  for 
her  husband. 

Strong  Bill  was  known  to  be  very  much 
in  love  with  Brighteyes,  and  so  was  Brown 
Wing,  and  either  of  them  would  have  made 
her  happy,  but  they  had  a  powerful  rival  in 
young  Tightclaw,  with  whom  Brighteyes 
was  very  fond  of  spending  a  day  flying  over 
the  meadows  and  hills.  This  made  her 
mother  very  unhappy,  as  she  feared  that 
he  was  too  fond  of  his  own  way  and  of 
his  own  comfort  to  take  real  care  of  her 
daughter  or  to  make  her  married  life  a 
happy  one.  Many  a  time  did  she  warn 


FRAGMENTS  IN  BASKETS 

Brighteyes,  but  she  did  not  seem  to  pay 
much  attention. 

"  Don't  you  be  afraid,  mother  dear,  I 
know  what  I'm  about.  Tightclaw  is  a 
little  fond  of  his  own  way,  I  admit,  but 
then  I  like  that  in  a  husband.  I  am  sur- 
prised to  hear  you  take  the  other  view.  As 
for  me,  I'm  not  one  of  the  new-fashioned 
sort  that  hold  the  wife  may  do  as  she  likes 
and  the  husband  have  no  control  over  her. 
I  believe  that  the  husband  should  be  the  lord 
and'  master.  So  never  you  fear,  mother  ; 
you  know  a  great  many  things,  I  daresay, 
but  not  quite  everything,  and  you  don't 
know  Tightclaw  as  I  do." 

It  was  with  an  anxious  heart  that  her 
mother  awaited  St.  Valentine's  Day,  on 
which  morning  all  the  suitors  would  come 
to  accost  Brighteyes,  and  she  would  make 
her  choice  by  flying  off  with  one  of  them. 

The  morning  opened  brightly,  the  sun 
rose  early,  and  the  air  was  merry  with  the 
joyous  songs  of  many  happy  hearts  eager 
to  greet  St.  Valentine.  Strong  Bill  was 
the  first  to  approach  Brighteyes.  As  he 
drew  near  she  put  her  head  on  one  side 
152 


Don't  you  be  afraid,   mother  dear,  I  know  what  I'm 
about." — p.  152. 


THE   SPARROW  AND  THE  CUCKOO'S  EGG 

eoquetishly,  then  smoothed  a  feather  in 
her  wing,  and  stood  by  her  mother  looking 
very  demure.  This  made  it  rather  hard 
for  him,  for  he  did  not  feel  sure  how  he 
would  be  received. 

After  paying  his  respects  as  a  dutiful 
sparrow  should  to  the  mother,  he  turned 
to  Brighteyes  and  told  her  how  he  had 
found  a  sheltered  and  secure  corner  in 
a  neighbouring  hedge  near  some  moist 
ground  where  worms  were  plentiful,  and 
which  he  thought  was  the  very  spot  for 
a  home  ;  and  how  he  had  marked  some 
twigs  and  some  rnoss  in  the  wood  hard  by 
and  some  hair  in  the  farmyard  ;  and  how 
he  knew  these  would  make  a  cosy  little  nest 
to  live  in,  and  it  only  wanted  one  thing 
to  make  it  perfect ;  and  would  Brighteyes 
come  and  see  it  ?  Brighteyes  twittered 
and  chirped,  and  flew  round  about  and 
made  as  though  she  would,  and  then  she 
wouldn't,  and  at  last  poor  Strong  Bill  saw 
that  it  was  of  no  use,  and  he  flew  oft'  alone. 

Brown  Wing  and  the  others  fared  alike, 
and  it  was  with  a  sad  heart  that  her 
mother  saw  her  worst  fears  realised  as 


FRAGMENTS  IN  BASKETS 

Brighteyes  left  her  side  to  fly  away  with 
Tight  claw. 

"  Oh,  mother,  come  and  see  iny  little 
home  and  share  with  me  the  joys  that  are 
coming.  Look  at  these  dear  little  eggs  in 
my  nest,"  said  Brighteyes  some  time  later, 
as  her  mother  flew  past. 

It  was  the  first  visit  from  her  parent 
since  she  had  left  her  old  home.  The 
mother  settled  on  a  twig  close  by,  and 
looked  at  the  nest  with  a  critical  eye.  Yes, 
it  was  well  placed  and  well  made.  Tight- 
claw  was  a  good  husband  so  far ;  the  boughs 
clustered  well  over  it  to  protect  it  from  rain, 
and  the  spot  was  a  secure  one.  But  when 
Brighteyes  hopped  off  the  nest  and  invited 
her  mother  to  look  in  and  inspect  her 
treasures,  her  heart  sank  within  her.  One, 
two,  three — and  what  is  this  ?  four — yes, 
she  counted  over  again.  Four  eggs  ;  there 
could  be  no  mistake,  for  the  fourth  was 
quite  different  from  the  rest,  it  was  larger 
and  smoother  and  of  a  different  colour. 

Now  the  mother,  as  I  have  said,  was  a 
•wise  old  bird,  but  alas  !  no  amount  of  wisdom 
will  save  those  from  trouble  who  are  deter- 


THE   SPARROW  AND  THE   CUCKOO'S  EGG 

mined  to  have  their  own  way  and  not  to 
accept  lessons  from  those  who  are  older  than 
themselves.  Her  heart  sank  because  she 
knew  that  there  was  trouble  in  store  for 
her  daughter ;  she  knew  that  the  only  way 
to  secure  happiness  is  to  get  rid  of  evil  at 
once,  to  turn  it  out  resolutely,  to  give  it  no 
quarter,  not  to  let  it  stay  with  us  an  hour, 
and  she  recognised  in  the  stranger  egg  the 
seed  of  an  enemy  of  her  race.  So  when 
Brighteyes  asked  her  if  she  did  not  think 
her  very  happy  in  expecting  four  pairs  of 
little  bright  eyes  in  her  nest  some  morning 
when  most  of  her  friends  had  only  three, 
the  mother  slowly  shook  her  head. 

"  No,  my  child,  I  do  not ;  for  look," 
said  she,  "this  one  is  different  from  the 
others  ;  it  is  not  your  own  at  all,  it  will 
not  bring  you  happiness  but  misery ;  turn 
it  out  at  once." 

Now  Brighteyes  did  not  quite  know  how 
this  egg  had  come  into  her  nest.  She 
knew  that  she  had  found  it  there  one 
morning  when  she  had  jumped  off  to 
enjoy  an  early  breakfast  with  Tightclaw, 
and  she  did  not  think  it  had  been  there 


FRAGMENTS  IN  BASKETS 

the  night  before  when  she  came  home — 
but  then  it  was  late  and  rather  dark  (she 
had  been  spending  the  afternoon  with 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Strong  Bill),  and  it  was 
quite  true  that  when  she  returned  it  was 
too  dark  to  see.  But  still  how  could  it 
have  got  there  ?  Who  could  have  put  it 
in  the  nest  ? 

No !  it  was  just  one  of  her  mother's  fads, 
there  was  nothing  in  it ;  she  was  always 
croaking  and  thinking  she  knew  better  than 
any  one  else.  Why,  she  had  said  Brighteyes 
would  not  be  happy  if  she  married  Tight- 
claw,  and  every  one  knew  what  an  excel- 
lent husband  he  made  !  It  was  just  nonsense 
and  absurd  to  worry  herself  about  it,  so  she 
determined  to  pay  no  attention.  Besides, 
she  was  particularly  fond  of  this  fine  egg  ; 
all  her  friends  and  neighbours  came  to  look 
at  it,  and  all  declared  that  they  had  none 
like  it !  It  might  be  a  peculiarity  of  her 
own,  but  there  was  no  harm  in  it.  She 
would  not  deny  the  difference  between 
herself  and  the  other  young  mothers 
whom  she  visited,  but  to  say  anything 

BO  harmless  was    "  evil "    was   surely  too 
156 


THE   SPARROW  AND   THE   CUCKOO'S  EGG 

much,  and  far  too  serious  a  view  of  the 
matter. 

"Turn  it  out,  mother!  Oh  no,  I  could 
not  do  that;  why  should  I?"  she  indig- 
nantly replied. 

"  My  child,  believe  me,  the  time  will 
come  when  you  will  bitterly  rue  the  day 
that  you  refused  to  do  as  I  told  you. 
That  egg  is  harmless  now — but  wait, 
harbour  it  in  your  bosom,  nurse  it  to  your 
heart,  and  you  are  nursing  a  power  which 
will  by-and-by  become  so  strong  that  it 
will  be  your  master.  All  your  happiness 
will  be  gone,  your  life  ruined,  your  little 
ones  will  find  themselves  robbed  of  what 
should  be  theirs,  and  eventually  they  will 
be  turned  out  of  their  home,  and  this  selfish 
evil  one  will  take  it  for  his  own.  Your 
husband  will  leave  you,  and  your  whole  life 
will  be  wretched,  because  you  will  not  put 
from  you  now  an  evil  which  will  grow  too 
strong  for  you  after  a  while." 

At  thisBrighteyes  grew  very  angry.  (We 
always  are  angry,  you  know,  when  we  mean 
to  do  wrong  and  any  one  tells  us  the  truth 
about  it.)  She  knew  there  was  something 

'57 


FRAGMENTS  IN  BASKETS 

strange  about  this  egg  which  charmed  her 
so,  she  felt  as  though  it  did  not  really 
belong  to  her,  she  did  not  quite  understand 
it;  and  yet  it  was  so  difficult  to  believe 
that  anything  that  looked  so  harmless 
could  be  a  source  of  evil,  and  it  was  so  nice 
to  be  different  from  the  other  birds  who 
had  only  three.  Surely  some  other  time 
would  do  to  turn  it  out  if  need  be,  there 
was  no  such  absurd  hurry;  she  would  wait 
and  see. 

And  so  time  went  on  ;  and  by-and-by 
her  long  patient  brooding  over  the  nest 
was  rewarded  by  the  sight  of  some  bright 
little  eyes  and  some  widely  gaping  yellow 
bills.  Tightclaw,  who  had  been  a  most 
attentive  and  devoted  husband,  was  de- 
lighted, and  flew  round  and  round  the  nest 
and  chirped  gaily  to  let  all  the  neighbours 
know.  Great,  was  the  excitement  to  see 
what  should  come  from  the  strange  egg, 
but  there  was  nothing  yet,  and  Brighteyes 
could  not  help  thinking  of  her  mother's 
words  as  she  noted  this  more  distinct  sign 
of  difference.  Why  was  this  little  one 
longer  in  coming  ?  She  confided  her  doubt 
158 


THE   SPARROW  AND  THE  CUCKOO'S  EGG 

to  her  husband,  who  only  laughed  at  her  for 
listening  to  "old  women's  fables." 

"  Why,  my  dear,  don't  you  know  your 
mother  better  than  that  ?  She  is  always  pro- 
phesying evil  and  it  never  comes ;  don't 
you  believe  her,  my  dear.  I  am  sure  I  am 
quite  capable  of  taking  care  of  you,  and 
she  can  just  mind  her  own  business,"  said 
Tightclaw,  decisively.  And  Brighteyes  re- 
membered that  her  mother  had  been  wrong 
about  her  husband  ;  he  had  never  been 
unkind,  and  had  they  not  been  married 
a  long  time  already  ?  And  so  she  would  be 
wrong  again  ;  and  she  put  it  all  out  of  her 
mind. 

She  had  plenty  to  think  of  now.  There 
were  three  little  ones  to  be  nursed  ;  there 
were  the  remains  of  the  broken  shells 
to  turn  out  of  the  nest ;  there  were  some 
wee  fluffy  feathers  to  smooth ;  and,  most 
important  of  all,  there  were  three  little 
mouths  to  feed.  So  for  a  few  days  all  went 
well  and  all  alarm  was  forgotten.  But  before 
tjuC  week  was  ended  a  fourth  mouth  gaped 
widely  for  some  breakfast,  and  another  pair 
of  eyes  twinkled  brightly  in  the  morning. 

159 


FRAGMENTS  IN  BASKETS 
It   was   hard   work  now  for  Tio-htclaw 

o 

to  bring  home  enough  to  feed  them  all, 
for  Brighteyes  could  not  go  far  as  she 
was  wanted  to  keep  them  warm  until 
their  feathers  should  have  grown  longer. 
And  the  last  comer  had  such  a  big  mouth 
and  seemed  so  hungry,  it  took  several 
worms  to  satisfy  him.  Besides  this,  the 
novelty  of  the  family  was  beginning  to 
wear  off,  and  Tightclaw  was  getting  tired 
of  having  so  much  to  do.  Added  to  this, 
Brighteyes  could  not  help  noticing  that 
the  stranger  always  managed  to  get  the 
best  worms  and  the  most  food,  and  that 
her  three  little  ones  came  off  rather  badly. 
Then  he  was  so  big  and  so  awkward  in 
the  nest,  he  pushed  them  about  so,  and 
always  seemed  to  get  the  most  comfortable 
place  for  himself. 

She  had  told  her  mother  that  it  did 
not  matter  to  any  one  but  herself  if 
she  chose  to  let  him  stay  in  the  nest, 
but  now  that  he  was  there  she  began  to 
feel  that  her  mother  was  right  and  that  he 
did  make  a  great  difference  to  every  one. 
More  difference  perhaps  to  others  than  to 
160 


THE  SPARROW  AND   THE   CUCKOO'S  EGG 

herself,  for  Tightclaw  was  grumbling  and 
beginning  to  be  quite  bad-tempered,  and 
her  little  ones  were  not  getting  on  nearly 
so  well  as  they  did.  The  nest  seemed  much 
too  small  for  four ;  perhaps,  after  all,  three 
would  have  been  better ;  "  but  never  mind, 
they  will  be  able  to  fly  soon,  and  the 
warmer  weather  is  coming  when  they  need 
not  sleep  in  the  nest,  so  it  will  all  come 
right." 

But  she  had  forgotten  that  little  ones 
may  grow  faster  than  we  expect,  and  that 
selfish  natures  are  not  changed  all  in  a 
day.  The  needs  of  his  family  increased  so 
fast  that  at  last  Tightclaw  refused  to  feed 
them,  and  upbraided  her  for  not  taking 
her  mother's  advice  and  turning  out  the 
stranger.  He  called  her  selfish  and  vain, 
and  told  her  it  was  now  too  late ;  she  had 
chosen  her  own  way,  and  he  should  go  his. 
The  sun  seemed  suddenly  to  disappear  as 
he  said  this ;  her  heart  sank  within  her  as 
her  mother's  words  came  back  to  her  mind, 
and  in  terror  and  grief  she  assured  him  she 
would  at  once  fly  home  and  do  as  he  wished 
— the  stranger  should  go,  even  though  it 

L  Id 


FRAGMENTS  IN  BASKETS 

was  tearing  out  her  own  heart ;  she  would 
do  anything  if  he  would  but  forgive  her. 

"  Turn  him  out  I  It  is  too  late  ;  your 
mother  was  right.  Try,"  scoffed  he,  with  a 
mocking  laugh,  as  she  flew  homewards. 

Alas !  it  was  too  true !  The  nest  held 
but  one  where  there  had  been  four.  On  the 
ground  below  lay  her  fondly  cherished  ones, 
all  lifeless,  whilst  the  stranger  filled  the  nest. 

"  Oh !  mother,  mother,"  she  wailed, 
"  why  did  I  not  believe  you  ?  Who  would 
have  thought  that  anything  so  innocent 
and  apparently  so  strengthless  could  have 
wrought  such  harm  ?  My  husband  gone, 
my  children  dead,  my  home  filled  with 
misery,  and  all  because  I  would  do  as  I 
pleased,  and  hug  to  my  heart  this  evil 
thing,  and  refused  to  crush  it  before  it 
had  grown  too  strong  for  me.  My  life  in 
wasted !  Others  have  happy  homes  and 
are  good  wives  and  mothers,  but  I  can  never 
be  either ! " 

"  Not  so,  my  child,"  said  a  voice  at  her 
side,  and  turning  round  she  found  her 
mother  near.  "  Not  so ;  whilst  life  lasts 

there  is  hooe  for  all  of  us.    You  have  learnt 
162 


THE   SPARROW  AND  THE  CUCKOO'S  EGG 

your  lesson ;  you  will  not  now  refuse  to 
believe  that  the  growth  of  evil  is  sure  and 
swift,  and  that  the  only  hope  of  overcoming 
it  is  to  crush  it  at  the  first.  You  will 
begin  again,  and  in  a  new  home  you  will 
be  able  to  avoid  the  mistakes  you  now 
so  bitterly  regret." 

"  Indeed,  indeed  I  will ;  but  where  is  my 
husband  ?  I  have  lost  him." 

"He  will  come  back  to  you,"  said  her 
mother.  "  He  too  has  learnt  a  lesson,  I 
doubt  not.  Another  and  a  brighter  spring- 
time will  yet  be  yours,  but  remember  it 
must  be  winter  first." 

But  Brighteyes  did  not  now  grumble  at 
the  winter.  She  began  to  realise  that  there 
was  a  use  in  the  winter  when  Tightclaw 
came  and  helped  her  to  pull  up  the  re- 
luctant worms  and  to  find  the  hidden 
berries,  and  it  was  with  a  humbled  and  yet 
happy  heart  that  she  welcomed  the  return- 
ing spring,  and  determined  with  herself 
that  henceforth  she  would  seek  only  the 
happiness  of  others,  and  pluck  out  even 
her  right  eye  rather  than  let  it  cause  her 
to  offend. 

163 


CHANCE   OR  DESIGN? 


"All  nature  is  but  art,  unknown  to  thee ; 
All  chance  direction  which  thou  canst  not  see' 


CHANCE   OR  DESIGN? 

TELL  you  you're  mistaken  ;  as 
it  was  in  the  beginning,  so  now 
and  for  ever  after.  There  is 
nothing  outside  what  you  see, 
everything  works  by  itself — at  least  by  a 
law,  if  you  choose  to  describe  it  so,  by  a 
power,  if  you  prefer  to  think  of  it  in  that 
way — which  goes  oh  from  day  to  day  the 
same." 

"  Well,  I  can't  help  feeling  my  doubts 
about  it.  What  is  it  all  for  ?  I  can't  be 
satisfied  until  I  see  the  end  ;  there  must 
be  a  purpose.  What  is  it  ? " 

The  speakers  were  two  straight  flat 
pieces  of  lead  about  an  inch  wide,  and  a 
sixteenth  of  an  inch  in  depth,  very  bright 
and  shining,  and  bearing  some  slightly 

167 


FRAGMENTS  IN  BASKETS 

raised  irregularities  along  one  edge. 
These  were  letters  forming  words.  Each 
piece  of  lead  represented  a  line  of  type 
cast  on  the  molten  metal  by  the  move- 
ments of  a  machine  called  "  the  linotype 
machine."  But  this  they  did  not  know, 
and,  like  many  others,  they  found  it 
difficult — nay,  almost  impossible,  to  believe 
what  they  could  not  see.  Let  us  listen 
while  they  talk. 

"  A  purpose  ?  Yes,  of  course,  the 
purpose  is  just  what  you  see,  no  more. 
You  go  through  your  day's  work,  the 
machine  begins  to  move,  the  wheels  turn, 
the  bars  clang  as  they  rise  or  fall,  the 
great  leather  band  whirrs  as  it  twists  end- 
lessly round  the  wheels,  the  door  opens, 
and  first  you  appear,  then  I,  followed  by 
others  exactly  like  us.  We  go  through 
the  same  round  day  by  day,  always  being 
placed  side  by  side,  and  having  the  same 
black  mass  passed  over  us,  and  then  the 
great  white  sheet,  after  which  we  are 
taken  up  and  returned  to  the  quietude 
of  the  box  out  of  which  we  started, 
there  to  repose  through  the  long  hours 
1 68 


CHANCE   OR  DESIGN? 

until,  with  the  return  of  warmth  and  light, 
all  is  set  in  motion  again,  and  once  more 
we  repeat  the  events  of  the  previous  day. 
That's  the  purpose,  and  the  end  of  all 
things  too." 

"  Don't  think  me  obstinate  that  I 
venture  to  doubt  it.  I  cannot  be  satisfied 
to  think  that  we  are  such  mere  puppets, 
the  sport  of  this  power  which  gives  us 
life." 

"  I  don't  see  why  you  need  speak  of  a 
'power  that  gives  us  life,'  as  though  it 
were  personal,  it  is  nothing  more  than  the 
order  of  things.  Look  how  regular  it  is, 
always  the  same ;  we  know  exactly  what 
will  happen  day  after  day,  and  if  anything 
were  damaged,  it  would  be  a  miracle,  and 
all  clever  people  know  that  miracles  do  not 
happen." 

"  I  grant  that,  yet  I  don't  think  I  need 
a  miracle  to  happen,  to  prove  that  I  am 
right  in  believing  that  the  power  which 
enables  us  to  move  and  act  is  something 
rather  greater  than  'the  order  of  things.' 
I  have  a  conviction,  unreasonable  though 
you  may  think  it,  that  our  life  means  more 

169 


FRAGMENTS  IN  BASKETS 

than  appears,  and  if  I  could  only  know 
this,  it  would  be  a  greater  proof  of  power 
to  me,  a  greater  miracle  than  any  irregu- 
larity of  movement  on  the  part  of  the 
machine.  Purpose  is  surely  greater  than 
power,  because  it  implies  mind,  intelligence, 
will.  That  the  laws  under  which  we  work 
should  be  changed,  that  the  wheels  should 
go  backward,  and  the  bars  move  upward 
instead  of  downward  would  be  a  miracle, 
because  it  is  contrary  to  the  laws  of  our 
being  as  we  know  them.  Such  an  exhibi- 
tion of  power,  I  agree  with  you,  would  be 
a  wonder,  a  miracle  :  but  even  if  it  were 
possible,  it  would  not  be  so  wonderful 
to  my  mind  as  our  daily  life,  if,  as  I 
believe,  it  has  a  constant  meaning  and  a 
purpose." 

"  This  is  too  absurd  !  Mind,  intelligence, 
will !  you  will  be  claiming  moral  qualities 
next  for  your  mysterious  Power !  No, 
believe  me,  there  is  nothing  beyond  what 
you  are  already  acquainted  with.  The 
power  is  resident  in  the  material  around 
you,  and  it  works  according  to  certain 
fixed  laws,  and  your  life  is  fixed  and  you 
170 


CHANCE   OR   DESIGN? 

cannot  alter  it.  You  may  as  well  do  as  I 
do,  make  yourself  as  comfortable  as  you 
can,  and  enjoy  yourself,  and  leave  off 
worrying  and  speculating  about  mere 
theories." 

But  the  bar  of  lead  was  troubled,  and 
could  not  accept  the  easy  philosophy  of 
his  companion,  but  pondered  in  silence  for 
a  while  over  the  problem  of  existence. 

At  last  it  began  again. 

"  Then  how  do  you  explain  what  we  go 
through  every  day  ?  What  is  the  use  of 
the  characters  impressed  upon  us  day  by 
day  ?  I  feel,  and  I  am  sure  you  must 
feel,  too,  that  I  am  not  always  the  same 
as  I  was  before.  Is  this,  too,  chance  or 
law?" 

"Well,  it  certainly  isn't  anybody's 
doing  but  your  own ;  you  can't  be  so 
absurd  as  to  imagine  that  everything  is 
arranged  and  ordered  to  account  for  each 
little  variety  in  every  one  of  us.  What 
can  so  insignificant  a  thing  matter,  and 

o  ^j 

how  could  it  possibly  be  done  without  dis- 
arranging the  whole  1 " 

"  That  I  don't  know,  but  I  do  know 

171 


FRAGMENTS  IN  BASKETS 

that  I  come  forth  different  day  by  day, 
and  perhaps  if  we  knew  more  about  it, 
instead  of  thinking  that  our  affairs  created 
a  disarrangement  of  the  whole,  we  should 
see  that  the  entire  machine  is  in  the  hands 
of  one  who  so  thoroughly  understands  it, 
and  who  has  it  in  such  complete  control 
that  he  is  able  to  guide  each  one  of  us  to 
the  carrying  out  of  his  will." 

"  Oh  !  then  you  prefer  to  believe  that 
you  have  no  will  of  your  own,  that  you 
can't  help  doing  what  you  do  day  by  day  ? 
In  fact,  you  prefer  to  believe  in  the 
existence  of  a  will  of  which  you  have 
no  evidence,  to  believing  in  your  own  will 
which  you  do  know." 

"Not  so.  I  believe  in  both  because  I 
think  it  is  quite  possible  that  if  I  went  any 
other  way  than  the  right  way,  or  if  I 
received  a  wrong  impression,  the  Power 
presiding  over  the  whole  machine  could  put 
it  right  again." 

"  And  supposing  I  grant  your  idea  for 
the  sake  of  argument,  of  what  good  would 
it  be  to  this  Power  ?     What  can  it  matter 
to  him  how  we  spend  our  lives  ?  " 
172 


CHANCE   OR  DESIGN? 

"A  very  great  deal  if,  as  I  imagine, 
there  is  a  purpose  behind  our  lives." 

But  here  the  dialogue  was  arrested  by 
the  removal  of  the  last  speaker  from  the 
machine.  A  hand  was  stretched  down  to 
where  he  lay,  and  he  found  himself  lifted 
out  of  his  surroundings,  and  listening  to 
the  following  words  : — 

"These  little  marks  along  the  edge  are 
letters  which  are  moulded  or  cast  upon  the 
lead.  Each  bar  of  lead  is  one  line  of  the 
type  ;  these  are  placed  side  by  side,  and 
from  them  we  print  off  thousands  and 
thousands  of  copies." 

"  But  do  show  us  how  this  is  done." 

"  I  touch  these  keys,  which  are  each 
marked  with  a  letter,  and  as  I  press  them 
down  the  mould  for  the  letter  drops  into 
position.  When  in  this  way  I  have  called 
out  all  the  moulds  I  want  to  make  the  words, 
I  set  the  other  part  of  the  machine  going, 
and  they  are  held  in  front  of  this  box  of 
molten  lead,  some  of  which  is  then  squeezed 
into  them  and  receives  from  them  the 
impress  of  the  letters,  so  enabling  us  to 
print  from  it  We  can  work  four  times  as. 

173 


FRAGMENTS  IN  BASKETS 

quickly  with  this  machine  as  we  could  when 
setting  up  the  letters  by  hand.  Then,  if 
you  watch,  you  will  see  that  the  same 
movements  which  bring  out  the  fresh 
moulds  for  the  next  line  return  the  others 
to  their  places  ready  for  future  use." 

"  How  wonderful  it  is !  It  seems  as 
though  it  worked  by  itself,  everything  is  so 
very  complete  and  well  organised ;  it  is 
difficult  to  believe  it  cannot  do  all  the  work 
alone." 

"  Yet  it  needs  continual  attention,  or  it 
will  not  work  rightly." 

"  But  do  you  ever  have  mistakes  ?  Do 
the  letters  ever  get  wrong  or  make  bad 
impressions  ? " 

"  Yes,  sometimes.  Then  I  have  to 
check  the  machine,  and  set  the  line  over 
again." 

"  Is  not  that  a  great  trouble  ?  " 

"No!  it  is  worth  the  slight  upset,  because 
one  wrong  letter  would  spoil  the  line,  and 
might  even  convey  a  different  message  from 
the  one  I  wish  to  set  up.  Before  all  things, 
it  is  important  that  the  printing  be  correct. 
The  whole  object  of  the  machine  is  to  make 
174 


CHANCE   OR  DESIGN? 

t  so,  and  no  amount  of  trouble  do  I  grudge 
to  bring  it  about." 

"Well,  I  call  it  little  short  of  miraculous, 
to  think  that  you  can  sit  here  by  a  machine, 
which  seems  to  go  on  with  such  perfect 
regularity  and  order  that  it  almost  works 
by  itself,  and  yet  you  are  influencing  it 
every  moment,  making  it  set  up  all  these 
different  letters  in  due  order,  so  that 
hundreds  of  words  can  be  printed  from 
them,  and  sent  all  over  the  world." 

"  How  little  these  letters  think,"  said 
one  of  the  speakers,  taking  up  the  bar 
of  lead  and  looking  attentively  at  it, 
"how  great  a  part  they  are  playing, 
and  how  endless  is  the  message  they 
tell  by  the  impressions  received  in  the 
machine  !  " 

But  the  bar  of  lead  knew  now  that  its 
conjectures  were  correct.  It  knew  that  the 
daily  round  which  seemed  to  go  on  always 
the  same  was  yet  presided  over  by  a  mind> 
intelligence,  and  will ;  that  all  things  worked 
together  for  a  good  purpose;  that  no  amount 
of  trouble,  even  to  the  disarranging  of  the 
machine,  would  be  grudged  to  replace  a 

175 


FRAGMENTS  IN  BASKETS 

letter  that  had  gone  wrong ;  that  the  very 
perfection  of  the  machine  and  the  ease  with 
which  it  worked  was  a  more  constant 
miracle  than  its  occasional  disarrangement, 
even  though  it  lacked,  by  reason  of  its  very 
constancy,  the  more  startling  elements  of 
the  unexpected. 


THE  MESSENGERS   OF  LOVE 


"  Some  feel  the  rod 
And  own,  like  MS,  the  Father's  chastening  hand." 

"  Whom  the  Lord  loveth  He  chasteneth." 


THE   MESSENGERS   OF  LOVE 

sat  upon  His  throne,  and 
round  Him  stood  His  messen- 
gers, the  angel  minist  rants  of  His 
sovereign  will. 
"  The  Earth  has  wandered  far,"  He  said  ; 
"  far  from  her  allegiance  to  my  throne.  She 
has  forgotten  that  she  is  mine,  bought 
with  a  price.  I  would  fain  draw  her  to  my 
side  again  ;  whom  shall  I  send  ?" 

And  the  Angel  of  Prosperity  said,  "  Send 
me."  And  God  said,  "  Go."  " 

And  the  Angel  flew  to  Earth,  and 
circling  her  round  with  brightness,  sought 
to  win  her  buck  by  gentleness  to  God. 

But  she  said  "  See,  how  all  things  smile 
on  me,  arid  how  happy  is  life ;  what  more 
do  I  need  ?  Life  is  full  of  plenty  and  of 

179 


FRAGMENTS  IN  BASKETS 

joy ;  talk  not  to  me  of  God,  I  have  every- 
thing I  want." 

And  the  Angel  left  her,  and  returned 
depressed  to  the  Throne  of  God,  and  told 
his  tale.  "  She  is  content ;  I  cannot  reach 
her  heart." 

Then  said  the  Angel  of  War,  "  Send  me ; 
I  will  shake  her  from  her  peace,  she  shall 
remember  she  is  not  her  own." 

And  the  second  Angel  flew  to  Earth, 
and  sowed  the  seeds  of  disruption  amongst 
her  nations  till  she  was  red  with  blood 
and  war.  But  still  she  turned  not,  nor 
faltered  on  her  course.  "  For  see."  said 
she,  "  these  things  must  be.  'Tis  but  the 
passions  of  men ;  nations  will  strive,  and 
grow  but  stronger  for  the  fight." 

And  the  Angel  of  War  knew  that  he 
had  sped  no  better  than  the  Angel  of 
Prosperity. 

Then  God  spake  again :  "  I  am  loth  to 
cause  grief  to  her  whom  I  cherish,  and  yet 
I  fain  would  win  her  love  again.  She  is 
drifting  from  me,  and  I  must  reach  her 
heart." 

And  turning  to  the  Angel  of  Famine, 
1 80 


THE   MESSENGERS   OF   LOVE 

He  said,  "  Go,  yet  use  not  all  your  power. 
Walk  through  the  Earth,  yet  smite  her 
gently.  In  wrath  remember  mercy." 

Then  Famine  stalked  ahroad  and  spread 
his  black  wings  o'er  the  Earth,  and  where 
their  shadow  fell  the  vegetation  withered 
and  the  fruit  hung  dead.  And  from  the 
Earth  there  rose  a  wail  of  anguish  ;  for  the 
people  failed,  their  strength  diminished, 
and  the  weak  ones  sank,  and  upon  all  was 
set  the  seal  of  pinching  want. 

Then  mindful  of  his  Lord's  commands 
the  Angel  stayed  his  progress,  and  stood 
awhile  at  rest.  And  as  he  rested,  he 
listened,  hoping  to  detect  amid  the  wail  of 
stricken  souls  the  cry  to  God  for  help  and 
love  and  shelter. 

But  the  Earth  was  recovering.  The 
mountains  and  fields  were  green  again  with 
grass,  and  men's  hearts  grew  light  with 
returning  plenty.  "Nature  never  fails," 
said  Earth,  and  still  she  turned  not  from 
her  course. 

So  yet  another  Angel  returned  in  sad- 
ness and  failure  to  his  Master's  feet. 

And  God  said,  "  I  would  fain  draw  her 

181 


FRAGMENTS  IN  BASKETS 

unto  me  with  the  cords  of  love,  and  she 
will  not.  The  pleasures  and  ambitions  of 
life  hold  my  people  in  bondage,  and  will 
not  let  them  go :  their  heart  is  hardened. 
But  I  have  yet  one  messenger  who  will 
wake  them  from  their  sloth,  and  whom  I 
must  now  send.  She  will  not  listen  to  the 
gentler  voices ;  she  will  hear  you.  Go, 
Angel  of  Death,  and  draw  her  to  my  side." 

And  the  Angel  left  the  presence  of  the 
Eternal,  and  circling  the  Earth  in  his 
embrace,  sought  to  draw  her  back  to  God. 

Wherever  he  stepped  he  left  the  mark  of 
his  sad  presence — in  lowly  cottage,  in 
stately  mansion  alike.  All  knew  him  by 
the  destruction  which  marked  his  track.  A 
wail  of  anguish  rose ;  but  still  no  note  of 
supplication,  no  thought  of  God.  Men's 
hearts  shrank  with  fear,  but  as  yet  they 
turned  not  to  their  God. 

And  the  Angel  stayed  awhile  and 
waited,  and  men  began  to  lose  their  fears. 
"  He  is  gone/'  said  they,  "  we  need  not 
fear." 

And  the  Angel  knew  his  work  was  not 
yet  done,  and  once  again  he  brooded  o'er 
182 


THE   MESSENGERS   OF  LOVE 

the  Earth.  With  mighty  finger  he  touched 
the  great  ones  of  the  land  and  laid  them 
low;  the  old  and  the  young  alike  fell  down 
before  him  as  he  cried,  "  Turn  ye,  turn  ye ; 
why  will  ye  die  ? "  And  yet  again  he 
paused ;  but  still  the  Earth  turned  not,  nor 
sought  her  Lord. 

And  once  more,  with  unwilling  feet,  the 
Angel  sped  upon  his  mission  of  destruc- 
tion ;  for  he  dared  not  return  until  he  had 
fulfilled  his  Lord's  behest. 

A  third  time  he  stretched  out  his  hand 
to  gather  of  Earth's  fairest  and  greatest, 
and  both  he  found  combined  in  one  young 
life.  The  greatest,  for  was  he  not  heir  to 
the  throne  of  Earth's  greatest  nation  ?  The 
fairest,  for  did  not  the  fairest  hopes  encircle 
him  ?  In  the  full  strength  of  his  manhood, 
and  in  the  joy  of  blossoming  love,  he  stood 
upon  the  threshold  of  his  life,  and  all  hearts 
beat  in  eager  sympathy  with  its  brightness. 

"  This  flower  will  I  pluck,"  said  Death  ; 
"  it  will  win  them  to  the  thought  of  God," 
and  stretching  out  his  hand  he  gathered 
him  with  one  swift  stroke  from  the  hearts 
that  loved  him. 


FRAGMENTS  IN  BASKETS 

And  the  Earth  paused,  stunned  by  the 
sudden  blow. 

"  What  hand  is  this  ? "  they  said.  "  We 
thought  Prosperity  was  of  our  own  making, 
that  Famine  was  only  nature's  work, 
and  War  but  the  fruit  of  men's  passions ; 
but  this  dread  Hand  that  robs  us  of  our 
love,  whence  comes  it  ?  It  is  something 
greater  than  nature  or  man;  it  is  God. 
We  have  forgotten  God,"  they  cried  ;  "  our 
hearts  hunger  for  love,  and  God  is  love ; 
let  us  turn  to  Him  ! " 

And  God  said,  "It  is  well;  I  have 
smitten  and  I  can  heal ;  I  also  will  hear 
their  cry  and  will  help  them  ;  I  will  satisfy 
the  hunger  of  their  heart,  for  I  alone  can, 
and  I  love  them  with  an  everlasting  love." 

And  the  Angel  knew  that  his  mission 
was  accomplished. 


184 


"  NOW  WE  SEE  THROUGH  A  GLASS, 
DARKLY." 


"  Where'er  thou  art,  He  is;  the  eternal  Mind 
Acts  through  all  places  ;  is  to  none  confined; 
Fills  ocean,  earth,  and  air,  and  all  above, 
And  through  the  universal  mass  doth  move." 


NOW  WE  SEE  THROUGH  A  GLASS, 
DARKLY." 

HE  beach  was  a  pleasant  one, 
with  long  stretches  of  bright 
smooth  sand,  broken  here  and 
there  by  rocks  and  pools.  These 
lent  an  agreeable  variety  of  form  and  a 
bright  contrast  of  colour  to  the  scene,  for 
the  rocks  abounded  in  rich  marine  vegeta- 
tion ;  feathery  weeds  of  brightest  scarlet  and 
deepest  purple  lay  side  by  side  with  floating 
ribbons  of  emerald  hue.  The  placid  pools 
that  nestled  in  the  hollows  held  many  a 
gem  of  purest  ray  hidden  within  their 
depths,  and  from  their  mirror-like  surface 
flashed  back  the  reflection  of  the  sunlight. 
Nor  were  they  devoid  of  life.  When  the 
tide  was  high,  and  the  sea  covered  them, 

187 


FRAGMENTS  IN  BASKETS 

they  became  the  favourite  haunt  of  certain 
sea-mice,  crabs,  shrimps,  and  other  creatures, 
which  now  and  then  found  themselves  im- 
prisoned in  these  shallow  depths  until  they 
should  be  released  by  the  return  of  the 
tide,  and  so  enabled  to  seek  their  homes  in 
the  greater  depth  beyond. 

The  crabs,  of  course,  were  independent 
of  the  tide.  They  could  breathe  in  the  air 
or  under  the  water  equally  well,  and  would 
often  go  to  and  fro  across  the  hard  smooth 
sand  back  to  their  ocean  home.  Owing  to 
this  peculiarity  they  held  their  heads  rather 
high,  and  were  inclined  to  think  themselves 
very  superior  in  knowledge  and  power ; 
they  certainly  had  better  opportunities  of 
knowing  things,  and  as  knowledge  is  said 
to  be  power,  perhaps  they  were  not  so  very 
far  wrong. 

Anyway,  this  was.  the  spirit  which 
animated  a  certain  crab  who  frequented 
the  largest  of  the  pools ;  and  appa- 
rently not  without  reason,  for  he  was 
constantly  appealed  to  in  any  matter  of 
doubt  or  difficulty,  and  this  surely  was 
some  excuse  for  him  if  he  seemed  at  times 
188 


"NOW  WE  SEE  THROUGH  A  GLASS,  DARKLY" 

to  think  that  he  knew  everything.  He 
was  of  an  inquiring  and  reflective  turn  of 
mind,  a  bit  of  a  philosopher  too.  He  made 
friends  with  every  creature  in  his  own  ele- 
ment, the  sea,  and  learnt  from  them  what  he 
could;  but  he  made  friends  also  in  his  ex- 
cursions to  the  pools  with  others  who  lived 
in  the  air,  from  whom  he  learnt  new  facts. 
Upon  these  he  was  wont  to  enlarge  when 
he  returned  to  the  sea,  and  so  he  gradually 
acquired  a  position  of  teacher,  and  was  con- 
stantly referred  to  in  matters  of  dispute. 

His  most  attentive  pupil  and  most  con- 
stant disputant  was  a  young  sole  whose  home 
was  far  below  the  surface,  and  who  rarely 
quitted  its  unruffled  depths.  Half  buried 
in  the  sand,  she  would  lie  and  listen  to  the 
wondrous  stories  of  her  friend  and  teacher, 
the  crab.  Around  them  would  gather  one 
and  another  of  their  acquaintances  and 
neighbours,  occasionally  throwing  in  a  word 
of  comment  or  approval,  or  propounding  a 
difficulty,  or,  more  rarely,  contributing  a 
piece  of  information. 

"  But  what  is  the  sun  ?  You  keep  talk- 
ing of  the  sun,  and  I  don't  know  what  you 

189 


FRAGMENTS  IN  BASKETS 

mean ;  what  is  the  sun  ? "  she  sharply 
inquired,  in  the  midst  of  an  interesting  ac- 
count of  the  crab's  morning  on  the  rocks. 

"  The  sun  is  the  source  of  life,"  said  the 
crab,  sententiously,  not  best  pleased  at 
having  his  story  spoilt. 

"  Well,"  said  the  sole,  "  we  seem  to  get 
on  very  well  without  him ;  none  of  us  have 
seen  the  sun,  and  yet  we  live  very  comfort- 
ably, and  have  got  all  we  want,  plenty  of 
food  and  comfortable  snug  homes." 

"  Ah  ! "  rejoined  the  crab,  "you  don't 
really  live  without  the  sun  ;  you  think  you 
do  because  you  don't  know  him  ;  but  it 
would  be  a  very  different  world,  I  can  tell 
you,  if  there  were  no  sun." 

"  Well,  tell  me  what  he  is  like.  Have 
you  seen  him  ? " 

"  No,  I  cannot  say  I  have,"  admitted  the 
crab  ;  "  no  one  has  seen  him  at  any  time." 

"  Then  I  don't  believe  there  is  any  such 
thing ;  it  is  only  your  absurd  imagination, 
and  you  think  to  impose  upon  us  because 
you  know  some  things  which  we  don't.  I 
sha'n't  believe  it  unless  you  can  prove  it," 
said  the  sole,  wriggling  the  sand  triumph- 
190 


"NOW  WE  SEE  THROUGH  A  GLASS,  DARKLY" 

antly  off  her  back  as  she  glanced  round  for 
approval  at  the  plaice  and  whiting  who  had 
gathered  near,  and  settling  herself  again 
with  the  air  of  having  completely  posed  her 
teacher. 

"  Well,  I  believe  in  him  because  I  have 
felt  his  heat  and  have  seen  his  light,"  said 
the  crab. 

"  Then,  did  the  sun  make  light  and 
heat  ? "  asked  a  whiting,  who  had  been 
listening  very  attentively. 

"  They  are  part  of  him,"  replied  the  crab  ; 
"  he  would  not  be  a  sun  without  light  and 
heat,  and  none  of  them  can  be  separated. 
There  can  be  no  life  without  heat  and  light  ; 
everything  would  die  if  they  were  gone.  As 
long  as  the  world  has  been,  so  have  they." 

"  You  speak  in  riddles,"  petulantly  put 
in  the  sole.  "  What  do  we  know  of  sun, 
or  heat,  or  light,  living  down  here  ?  Per- 
haps, if  you  could  tell  us  what  these  things 
are,  we  could  follow  you." 

"  Well,  it  will  be  difficult,"  admitted  the 
crab,  "  because  you  have  had  no  experience 
of  these  things.  And  yet  I  think  I  can  do 

it,  because  if  I  can  show  that  I  speak  the 

191 


FRAGMENTS  IN  BASKETS 

truth  about  the  things  you  do  know,  you 
will  believe  me  when  I  tell  you  about  what 
is  above  you,  won't  you  ?  To  begin  with,  you 
cannot  see  the  sun  ;  I  have  never  actually 
seen  him  myself ;  neither  can  you  feel  his 
heat,  for  you  are  a  fish.  But  here  I  may 
remark  that  you  must  be  willing  to  believe 
the  testimony  of  those  who  can,  if  you  see 
that  it  is  not  contradicted  by  anything  you 
know.  It  is  as  much  beyond  your  power 
to  feel  heat  as  it  is  to  see  the  sun  ;  bub  this 
is  no  proof  that  they  do  not  exist ;  you 
must  '  take  these  on  faith,'  as  they  say. 
And  yet  not  altogether,  now  I  come  to 
think  of  it,  for  you  can  examine  carefully 
the  evidence  there  is  of  such  a  thing  as 
heat.  Though  you  cannot  yourself  experi- 
ence it,  you  can  test  the  assertions  of  those 
who  have  ;  and  you  can  observe  its  effects, 
and  see  if  they  can  be  accounted  for  in  any 
other  way.  If  they  cannot,  it  clearly  shows 
that  tlis,  which  is  called  heat,  is  a  very  real 
thing.  And  when  you  see  that  it  fits  in 
and  explains  a  whole  number  of  things  you 
could  not  understand  before,  you  will  be 
ready  to  believe  you  have  found  what  is 
192 


"NOW  WE  SEE  THROUGH  A  GLASS, DARKLY  " 

true,  will  you  not?  But  I  won't  ask  you 
to  agree  to  this  yet.  I  will  first  show  you 
that  you  have  some  knowledge  of  light. 
There  is  not  one  of  you  that  is  entirely 
destitute  of  light.  Let  us  put  it  to  the 
test,  come  along." 

So  saying,  the  crab  crawled  upward,  ac- 
companied by  his  friend  the  sole,  and  by 
several  others  who  had  been  attracted  by 
the  conversation,  and  were  interested  in  its 
continuance.  After  going  some  distance, 
he  approached  a  rock  which  reared  itself  to 
within  a  short  distance  of  the  sea's  surface. 
Upon  this  he  mounted,  and,' turning  to  the 
sole,  inquired  : 

"  Do  you  see  no  difference  in  the  sea  here 
from  what  it  was  below  ? " 

"  Yes,"  she  replied,  "  it  is  bright  and  blue; 
down  below  it  is  dull  and  dreary.  I  often 
come  up  here  to  enjoy  a  good  swim,  and  I 
love  the  change." 

"  This  is  light,"  said  the  crab,  "  and  down 
below  is  darkness.  You  love  light,  you 
say  ;  and  you  evidently  know  the  difference 
between  light  and  darkness,  since  you  come 
up  here  to  enjoy  it." 

N  193 


FRAGMENTS  IN  BASKETS 

"  But  it  is  all  very  well  for  you  to 
argue  like  that.  Of  course,  I  know  the 
difference  between  blue  sea  and  gloomy 
sea,  but  it  does  not  prove  to  me  that 
light  has  got  anything  to  do  with  it,  nor 
that  light  coines  from  the  sun,"  objected 
the  sole. 

"  We  must  go  a  little  further  then,"  said 
the  crab,  crawling  onwards  towards  the 
shore.  By-and-by  he  gained  a  rock  which 
rose  above  the  waves,  and,  calling  to  the 
sole,  urged  her  to  swim  upward  as  he 
climbed  until  they  touched  the  surface. 
A.s  they  did  so,  he  bade  her  notice  how 
much  paler  the  ocean  grew,  so  pale  that 
she  could  hardly  bear  it,  yet  for  one 
moment,  before  she  sank  relieved  to  the 
ocean  bed,  she  caught  a  glow  of  golden 
glorious  light. 

"  Now,"  said  he,  "  I  have  proved  to  you 
that  there  is  such  a  thing  as  light ;  you  have 
felt  it  in  your  own  experience.  It  must 
come  from  somewhere.  You  did  not  make 
it,  did  you  ?  Neither  did  I.  You  have 
seen  that  the  higher  you  go  the  more  light 

you  get,  and  it  would  go  on  increasing  if 
194 


"NOW  WE  SEE  THROUGH  A  GLASS,  DARKLY" 

you  could  bear  it,  until  at  length  you 
would  reach  the  sun." 

"  But  where  is  the  sun  ? "  timidly  asked 
a  plaice  that  was  floating  near. 

"  The  sun  is  everywhere,  throughout  all 
nature,  and  yet  we  think  of  him  most  often 
as  in  heaven,"  replied  the  crub.  "  I  admit 
that  we  are  wrong  to  do  this,  because,  as  I 
said  to  you,  the  whole  world  would  be 
different  if  there  were  no  sun — everything 
would  lack  life.  And  yet  it  is  difficult  to 
avoid  speaking  of  him  in  this  way  to  you, 
who  live  down  here  and  cannot  see  all  the 
wondrous  things  he  does." 

"  Well,  I  admit  the  light,"  sighed  the 
sole,  as  she  sank  somewhat  exhausted  on 
the  sand  ;  "  but  I  did  not  see  any  sign  of  a 
sun,  nor  do  I  see  that  it  is  necessary  to 
believe  in  one ;  there  was  only  a  great 
flood  of  light,  and  surely  this  is  part  of 
that  same  nature  you  keep  talking  about 
so  much.  We  could  get  on  very  well  if  we 
had  light  only.  What  gain  would  a  sun 
be,  and  why  need  you  assert  that  the  light 
has  any  connection  with  the  sun  ? " 

"The  sun  makes  us  sure  that  we  shall 

195 


FRAGMENTS  IN  BASKETS 

always  have  light.  There  are  times  when  we 
seem  to  lose  it,  and  have  to  try  and  find  our 
way  in  the  dark  with  no  light  to  guide  us. 
I  have  often  been  caught  on  the  rocks  by 
darkness  coming  on,"  said  the  crab,  "and 
all  the  world  has  seemed  topsy-turvy,  and 
everything  in  confusion,  but  I  could  always 
console  myself  by  saying,  '  By-and-by  it 
will  be  light,'  as  I  shuffled  back  to  the  sea, 
for  I  knew  the  sun  was  somewhere.  There 
are  times  when  we  don't  see  the  sun  for 
several  days ;  we  have  light  all  the  same, 
but  not  for  so  long  together,  nor  so  bright 
— everything  is  cold  and  chill.  I  have 
learnt  from  a  swallow  who  often  comes  and 
sits  on  the  rocks  and  chats  to  me,  that 
they  call  this  winter.  Then,  again,  there 
are  times  when  the  sun  shines  constantly, 
and  it  is  hardly  dark  at  all ;  they  call  that 
summer.  It  is  lovely  and  warm  then ; 
everything  bursts  into  life." 

"But,"  objected  the  sole,  "this  does  not 
prove  that  there  is  a  sun ;  it  only  proves 
that  you  feel  the  light  and  the  heat ;  and  you 
don't  expect  rne  to  believe  in  an  argument 
which  is  only  drawn  from  your  feelings, 

iy6 


"NOW  WE  SEE  THROUGH  A  GLASS,  DARKLY  " 

feelings  which  I  don't  share.  It  is  all  very 
well  for  you  to  persuade  yourself  that 
there  is  a  sun  because  you  feel  what  you 
call  its  light  and  heat,  but  it  is  no  proof." 

"  True,"  rejoined  the  crab,  "  I  don't  ask 
you  to  go  by  what  I  feel,  nor  yet  by  what 
you  feel  yourself,  because,  as  I  said  before, 
being  a  fish,  you  cannot  feel  heat,  even  if 
you  would.  But  you  can  judge  of  the 
truth  by  the  difference  which  its  absence 
makes.  When  there  is  no  heat  all  is  barren 
and  bare  ;  there  is  no  life  in  anything.  My 
friend,  the  swallow,  tells  me  that  after  he 
flies  away,  in  the  winter,  everything  dies  ; 
the  trees  are  bare,  the  leaves  all  withered, 
the  flowers  dead.  But  when  summer  comes 
and  the  sun  shines,  the  warmth  calls  out 
new  life,  and  everything  seems  to  smile ; 
the  grass  begins  to  grow,  the  trees  to  deck 
themselves  with  leaves,  and  the  flowers  to 
bloom.  The  swallow  tells  me,  too,  that 
there  are  lands  where  they  always  enjoy 
the  sun,  because  they  are  nearer  to  him 
than  we  are,  and  flowers  blossom  and  fruit 
ripens  every  day.  Surely  you  will  believe 

that  there  is  a  sun  somewhere  when  you 

197 


FRAGMENTS  IN  BASKETS 

see  what  a  tremendous  difference  his  absence 
makes." 

"  What  did  you  mean  when  you  said  you 
had  never  actually  seen  the  sun  ? "  asked  the 
sole. 

"  I  meant  that  I  had  only  seen  the  light 
and  felt  the  heat  and  knew  the  life-giving 
power  of  the  sun,  and  I  said  I  had  never 
actually  seen  it,  because  I  believe  that 
there  are  some  of  those  beings  they  call 
men  who  think  that  they  have,  and  who 
maintain  that  it  is  only  the  same  as  the 
earth  after  all.  Two  of  them  were  down 
on  the  beach  some  time  ago  with  a  long 
round  thing  which  they  looked  through. 
They  were  looking  at  the  ships,  I  know, 
for  I  heard  them  say  so,  and  then  they 
sat  down,  and  one  told  the  other  that 
they  could  make  things  like  the  one  which 
he  held,  through  which  they  could  look 
at  the  sun  itself,  and  that  they  could 
find  out  of  what  it  was  made,  and  that 
after  all  it  was  not  so  wonderful  as  some 
people  imagined.  That  a  long  time  ago 
people  used  to  worship  the  sun,  but  that 
nobody  thought  of  doing  so  nowadays. 
108 


"NOW  WE  SEE  THROUGH  A  GLASS,  DARKLY  ' 

They   call    themselves    'scientific'    I    be- 
lieve." 

"Well,"  said  the  sole,  "you  have  better 
opportunities  than  we  of  knowing  these 
things,  and  I  am  glad  to  hear  all  about  the 
sun.  It  must  be  very  nice  to  be  able  to 
get  near  him,  I  know  this  from  the  greater 
joy  I  feel  when  I  can  sport  and  splash  in 
the  clear  blue  waters  above.  How  happy 
you  must  be  when  you  can  crawl  across  the 
golden  sand,  and  lie  basking  in  his  rays ! 
I  wonder  what  those  other  creatures  feel 
whom  you  call  '  men.' ' 

"  Oddly  enough,  I  heard  two  of  them  talk- 
ing about  him  not  long  ago,"  said  the  crab. 
"  I  was  lying  in  a  pool  half  hidden  beneath 
a  bunch  of  cool  sea-weed,  when  they  came 
along  the  beach  and  sat  down  on  the  rock 
above  me.  This  is  what  I  heard,  and 
though  they  never  mentioned  the  sun  by 
name,  but  always  talked  of  '  him,'  it  is 
quite  clear  whom  they  meant." 

"What  I  crave  is  more  certain  know- 
ledge. 'No  man  hath  seen  him  at  any 
time,' "  said  the  younger  of  the  two,  "  and 
so  we  have  nothing  definite  to  go  upon." 

199 


FRAGMENTS  IN  BASKETS 

"Nothing  but  his  revelation  of  himself, 
his  works,  and  the  proofs  of  his  ever-con- 
stant presence,"  assented  the  elder.  "  '  In 
the  beginning  he  created,'  we  are  told ;  '  all 
things  were  made  by  him,  and  without  him 
was  not  anything  made  that  was  made.* 
That  was  one  revelation  of  himself.  '  In 
him  was  light,  and  the  light  was  the  life  of 
men ' ;  thus  he  continues  to  show  us  of 
himself,  because  that  'true  light'  is  still 
'the  life  of  men,  and  lighteth  every  man 
that  cometh  into  the  world.'  Again,  not 
only  was  he  '  in  the  world,  and  the  world 
was  made  by  him,'  but  'he  came  unto  his 
own "' 

"Here  I  lost  the  end  of  the  sentence," 
explained  the  crab,  "  for  at  that  moment  a 
large  wave  washed  towards  us,  causing 
them  to  rise  to  their  feet  and  almost  sweep- 
ing me  from  my'  niche.  I  managed  to  cling 
to  the  rock  pretty  firmly,  and  when  it  sub- 
sided the  younger  of  the  two  was  speak- 
ing." 

" '  A  consuming  fire,'  you  say  ? " 

"Yes,"  was  the  reply,  "as  a  fierce  heat. 
It  was  foretold  that  he  should  be  '  like  a 

200 


"NOW  WE  SEE  THROUGH  A  GLASS,  DARKLY" 

refiner's  fire,  and  should  sit  as  a  refiner  and 
purifier,'  for  not  only  is  it  true  that  '  the 
fire  shall  try  every  man's  work,'  'in  the  day 
when  he  shall  judge  the  secrets  of  men,' 
but  it  is  equally  true  that  he  is  doing  so 
now.  You  know  it  yourself,  you  feel  it  in 
your  soul,  and  though  you  may  be  troubled 
with  these  doubts  so  that  darkness  hath 
blinded  your  eyes  for  a  time,  all  would  be 
clear  to  you  if  you  would  but  keep  close  to 
him  who  hath  said,  '  I  am  the  light  of  the 
world,  he  that  followeth  me  shall  not  walk 
in  darkness,  but  shall  have  the  light  of 
life/" 

"Again  the  wave  washed  towards  us, 
and  this  time  my  two  friends  turned  home- 
wards, doubtless  continuing  the  conversa- 
tion as  they  went,  for  they  moved  slowly, 
with  their  faces  toward  the  ground.  As 
for  me,  I  crawled  homewards  too,  to  be 
met,  oddly  enough,  by  your  question, 
'What  is  the  sun?'" 


201 


WE  SHALL  ALL  BE  CHANGED 


"  There  is  no  Death  !  what  seems  so  is  transition; 

This  life  of  mortal  breath 
Is  but  a  suburb  of  the  life  elysian, 
Whose  portal  we  call  Death" 


WE  SHALL  ALL  BE  CHANGED 

T  was  hot,  very  hot,  as  was  only 
natural  in  the  middle  of  August, 
and  in  the  ordinary  way  I 
should  have  enjoyed  it.  Just 
the  very  day  for  cricket  or  a  lazy  row 
down  stream,  but  to-day  it  irritated  me.  I 
was  hot  too  ;  that  was  the  secret.  My  father 
and  I  had  fallen  out.  I  had  spoken  hotly, 
and  the  blood  still  surged  turbulently 
through  my  veins  as  I  flung  the  window 
open  and  leaped  upon  the  lawn.  Every- 
thing had  gone  wrong  lately — everything 
was  unsatisfactory.  They  were  disap- 
pointed at  home  because  I  had  only  taken 
a  .good  place  in  my  form  ;  they  had 
pictured  to  themselves  a  scholarship  ;  they 

found  fault  with  my  manners,  blamed  me 

205 


FRAGMENTS  IN  BASKETS 

for  want  of  affection,  and  called  me  in- 
different to  religion  because  I  liked  to 
argue  out  everything,  and,  in  a  discussion 
with  those  whose  opinions  were  already 
most  firmly  fixed  on  the  orthodox  side 
of  the  question,  I  was  obliged,  for  the 
purpose  of  sustaining  the  argument,  to 
represent  and  defend  the  contrary  view. 

I  felt  I  was  not  understood.  I  felt 
there  was  no  sympathy  between  us,  and 
after  enduring  it  as  patiently  as  I  could, 
it  culminated  thus  in  a  rupture  with  my 
father.  I  was  vexed — vexed  that  it 
should  have  happened,  for  I  greatly  loved 
him,  vexed  too  with  myself,  and  vexed  with 
the  world.  Vexed,  also,  with  the  glorious 
summer  day,  with  the  scorching  heat,  with 
the  song  of  the  birds,  the  murmur  of  the 
bees,  and  the  perfume  of  the  flowers  that 
floated  across  my  path.  In  short,  every- 
thing vexed  me,  even  life  itself,  and  I 
wished  that  I  were  dead.  I  said  so  over 
and  over  again,  as  I  fled  across  the  fields, 
away  down  to  the  lazy  river  that  slowly 
floated  out  its  life  at  the  foot  of  the  hill. 

Dead?  Yes,  I  did  wish  I  were  dead, 
206 


WE   SHALL  ALL  BE   CHANGED 

whatever  that  might  mean,  and  who  could 
tell  ?  Even  this  very  thought  vexed  me, 
for  it  recalled  a  discussion  we  had  had  the 
other  day  as  to  what  grounds  there  were 
for  believing  in  a  "  hereafter  "  at  all.  My 
parents,  of  course,  took  the  old-fashioned 
view  that  it  was  quite  certain,  that  the 
Bible  told  us  so,  that  it  was  impious  to 
doubt  it ;  and  as  to  what  that  "  hereafter  " 
was  like,  was  it  not  an  "  eternal  Sabbath  " 
of  singing  and  joy  ?  We  should  be  like  the 
angels,  and  so  on — language  I  deemed  wholly 
figurative,  yet  which  they  evidently  under- 
stood most  literally.  I  had  been  reading.  I 
knew  some  fellows  at  school  whose  libraries 
were  supplied  with  more  recent  literature 
than  Hooker,  Toplady,  Paley,  or  M'Cheyne, 
the  best  our  shelves  could  boast,  and  eagerly 
I  devoured  all  the  articles  in  the  current 
periodicals  which  bore  upon  such  topics  as 
those  that  troubled  me.  No  doubt  it  was 
the  natural  reaction  ;  the  more  placidly 
content  my  people  seemed  with  their  own 
views  and  beliefs,  the  more  I  learnt  to 
doubt,  the  more  I  longed  to  sift  them  for 

myself.     I  saw  it  would  not  do  to  quote 

207 


FRAGMENTS  IN  BASKETS 

"authority  "  in  this  democratic  age,  which 
only  bows  before  the  strength  of  stern 
reason.  What  "authority"  was  a  book, 
around  whose  origin  hung  so  much  dark- 
ness, in  the  face  of  clearly  demonstrated 
facts  of  science  which  it  seemed  to  contra- 
dict? Science  or  their  interpretation  of 
the  book  must  be  wrong,  and  they 
preferred  to  throw  science  overboard  rather 
than  change  their  time-honoured  view. 
This  vexed  me. 

Hastily  I  strode  on,  and  as  I  did  so  my 
eye  fell  on  the  path  before  me,  but  just 
too  late  to  prevent  my  foot  crushing  a 
worm  which  was  slowly  wriggling  on  its 
way. 

"  Death  again !  and  death  at  my  com- 
mand," I  thought.  "  Surely  the  world  is 
made  up  of  injustice  and  wrong  !  And 
yet  I  envy  the  worm.  I  would  thank 
any  one  who  came  and  so  robbed  me  of  my 
life,  and  all  these  myriad  problems  which 
press  upon  me  so  heavily,  and  for  which 
there  seems  no  possible  and  sure  solution." 

Brooding  thus,  I  reached  the  bank  of 
the  stream  and  flung  myself  down  am  ongst 
208 


I  reached  the  bank  of  the  stream  and  Hung  myself 
down. —p.  208. 


WE   SHALL  ALL  BE   CHANGED 

the  long  grass  beneath  a  branching  elm. 
The  quiet  of  the  spot  was  strangely  out  of 
harmony  with  my  turbulent  bosom,  and  I 
felt  inclined  to  scorn  the  calm  inaction  of 
the  stream  and  all  things  round  me,  but 
by-and-by  their  influence  began  to  be  felt. 
I  drew  my  cap  half  over  my  eyes,  and 
lazily  noted  the  scene  about  me ;  for  even 
here,  when  I  came  to  look  more  closely,  I 
saw  it  to  be  teeming  with  life  and  the 
problems  of  life.  I  watched  the  delicately 
made  yet  gorgeous  dragon-fly  as  it 
skimmed  swiftly  by,  flashing  in  the  sun- 
light. I  watched  the  fish  scarce  moving 
in  the  stream.  My  eye  was  caught  by  the 
bright  butterfly  as  it  flitted  along,  and 
then  my  glance  fell  upon  the  insect  life 
barely  visible  in  the  long  tangled  grass. 

"  And  all  these  will  die,"  I  thought,  "  do 
die,  every  minute,  and  so  end  their  exist- 
ence, and  why  not  we  ?  I  confess  I  could 
see  more  in  favour  of  the  theoiy  of  annihila- 
tion than  of  resurrection.  Death  seemed 
such  a  dreadful  change.  My  mind 
reverted  to  the  worm  I  had  trodden  on. 
There  it  lay,  a  mass  of  crushed  and  inert 

o  209 


FRAGMENTS  IN  BASKETS 

matter.  Might  it  not  be  a  fit  emblem  of 
ourselves  ?  What  right  had  we,  in  the 
face  of  such  evident  contradictions  in  the 
life  of  nature  around  us,  to  conclude  that 
we  alone  were  the  noble  exceptions  to 
a  general  law  ?  Was  it  not  absolutely 
incongruous  to  tell  me  that  when  this  life 
is  ended  I  should  enter  upon  another,  one 
made  up  of  elements  wholly  unattractive, 
wholly  different  from  those  surrounding 
me  now,  and  for  which  I  should  feel  my- 
self entirely  unfitted  ? " 

As  I  reached  this  point  in  my  meditations 
my  attention  was  attracted  by  the  motion 
of  a  caterpillar  crawling  up  the  stem  of  an 
adjacent  plant.  Then  I  saw  another  of  a 
different  hue,  and  as  I  marvelled  at  the 
richness  of  their  colours  in  the  hot  and 
lazy  air,  I  began  to  lose  consciousness  of 
all  that  had  just  passed,  of  the  thoughts 
that  were  troubling  me,  and  to  sink  into  a 
kind  of  dreamland  with  my  eyes  still  fixed 
upon  my  friend  the  caterpillar.  I  watched 
him  till  he  met  his  fellow,  whom  I 
perceived  from  the  smoothness  of  his  skin, 
the  tenderness  of  his  sinews,  and  his 
210 


WE   SHALL  ALL  BE   CHANGED 

general  plumpness,  to  be  very  much  his 
junior,  and  without  any  surprise  found 
myself  a  listener  to  their  conversation. 

As  I  listened,  I  caught  the  words 
"  change,"  "  death."  They  were  so  in 
harmony  with  my  mood  and  thought  that 
I  lay  quite  still,  and  tried  more  intently 
to  hear  what  was  passing.  I  don't  think 
the  wonder  of  it  struck  me  at  all ;  it  never 
seemed  strange  that  I  should  be  able  to 
share  the  thoughts  of  beings  so  infini- 
tesimally  smaller  than  I.  I  had  worked 
myself  into  such  an  excitement  that  every 
faculty  was  strained  beyond  its  natural 
power,  and  the  wonder  would  have  been 
if  I  had  found  myself  insensible  to  the 
movements  of  nature  around  me.  I  was 
like  a  highly  strung  instrument,  ready  to 
vibrate  at  the  minutest  touch. 

"  Good  morning,  Brother  Smoothskin  ; 
you  seem  in  a  hurry  to-day  —  whither 
away  ? "  said  my  first  friend  the  Elder. 

"  Well,  yes,  brother,  I  am  rather ;  I  am 
going  down  to  see  Sister  Blanche.  I  am 
somewhat  out  of  sorts.  I  have  just  had 
all  my  notions  upset.  I  was  thoroughly 

211 


FRAGMENTS  IN  BASKETS 

enjoying  this  lovely  hot  day  and  the  cool 
luscious  leaves  of  this  plant,  and  rejoicing 
in  my  own  growth,  and  feeling  the  fulness 
of  strength  and  life,  and  an  entire  satis- 
faction with  the  arrangement  of  all  things, 
when  by  flutters  one  of  those  gay  creatures 
they  call  butterflies.  I  made  some  remark 
about  its  idle  life,  so  different  from  ours, 
when  grandfather — who,  you  may  have 
noticed,  is  growing  very  stiff  and  shrivelled 
— rpiped  out  that  that  was  what  I  would 
come  to  some  day,  and  that  it  was  indeed 
worth  living  for.  Now,  I  don't  want  it ; 
I  don't  like  it.  I  cannot  imagine  what 
attraction  any  one  can  find  in  such  a  life  ; 
it  looks  so  different  from  all  I  have  been 
accustomed  to  here.  I  am  sure  it  cannot 
be  happy,  and  I  said  so,  and  yet  I  have  a 
sort  of  uncomfortable  feeling  in  myself  as 
though  there  were  some  truth  in  it.  I 
don't  want  to  believe  it,  and  so  I '  am  j  ust 
going  down  to  see  Sister  Blanche.  She  is 
always  so  kind  and  good,  I  shall  get  the 
truth  from  her." 

So  saying,  he  crept  steadily  on  till  he 
reached  the  bottom,  then  across  an  open 


212 


space,  round  a  large  smooth  stone,  and  up 
the  stalk  of  a  plant  with  long,  rough, 
green  leaves,  which  curled  under  at  the 
edges.  Near  the  top  he  turned  aside  and 
crept  beneath  the  leaf,  and  soon  I  heard 
his  greeting,  and  the  repetition  of  his 
trouble. 

"  Come  with  me,"  was  the  only  answer 
he  received,  and  I  saw  my  friend  and  his 
conductor  coming  quickly  downwards. 
On  reaching  the  level  ground  they  turned 
towards  a  shrub  I  had  scarcely  noticed,  but 
which  I  now  saw  to  be  bristling  with 
caterpillar  life.  Sister  Blanche  seemed  an 
old  friend,  and  exchanged  many  a  kindly 
greeting,  but  Smoothskin  was  more  shy 
and  self-conscious.  Turning  to  him,  she 
said,  "  Now  look  around  you.  You  live 
too  much  alone  on  your  cabbage  plant. 
You  have  not  mixed  with  the  world  yet, 
or  studied  your  fellows.  You  are  too 
young  and  too  new  in  the  possession  of 
your  life  to  know  much  about  it.  Walk 
around  and  ask  one  and  another  what 
they  think  and  feel." 

As  he  did  so,  I  noticed  that  each  one 

213 


FRAGMENTS  IN  BASKETS 

spoke  of  change,  constant  change.  One 
told  him  he  had  just  been  through  a  great 
trouble ;  he  had  been  ill  and  unable  to 
move  about.  After  a  time  he  felt  himself 
grow  old  and  wizened,  and  crept  away 
alone  into  a  corner,  thinking  that  the  end 
of  all  things  had  come,  when,  to  his  amaze- 
ment, he  found  one  day  that  new  vigour 
was  his,  and  that  by  the  exercise  of  some 
little  effort  he  could  free  himself  from  the 
covering  of  the  past.  The  dead  and 
shrivelled  skin  which  had  confined  and 
cramped  him  was  now  cast  aside,  and  he 
emerged  a  new  and  stronger  creature. 

"  That,"  said  he,  "  was  my  first  experience 
of  change.  It  seemed  to  me  very  terrible 
before  I  had  been  through  it ;  but,  looking 
back  upon  it  now,  nothing  appears  more 
natural." 

Sister  Blanche  next  took  Smoothskin  to 
a  deep  crevice  in  the  leaf,  where  he  beheld 
one  of  his  brethren  undergoing  such  a 
change.  He  saw  him  lying  inert  and  help- 
less, withered  and  yellow,  and  taking  no 
notice  of  his  visitors.  At  first,  Smoothskin 

shrank  from  the  sight,  but  Sister  Blanche 
214 


WE   SHALL  ALL  BE   CHANGED 

told  him  he  would  have  to  pass  through  a 
similar  experience,  and  had  better  become 
familiar  with  it,  so  that,  when  his  time 
came,  he  would  not  be  frightened. 

"  But  must  we  all  go  through  this 
change  ? " 

"  Yes,  all ;  it  is  our  gain.  We  are  thus 
renewed  from  day  to  day,  though  out- 
wardly we  perish.  I  can  quite  understand," 
she  said,  "  that  you  do  not  like  the  thought 
of  it.  You  are  young  yet,  and  full  of  life 
and  its  enjoyments,  and  it  must  seem  to  you 
that  you  have  everything  you  require  to 
make  life  perfect.  But  that  is  only  be- 
cause you  do  not  know,  because  you  have 
not  yet  experienced  the  increase  of  power 
which  comes  after  such  a  change.  It  is 
thus  we  go  from  strength  to  strength." 

And  as  I  listened  the  words  crossed  my 
mind  :  "  That  ye  put  off  .  .  .  the  old  man 
which  is  corrupt  .  .  .  and  be  renewed  in 
the  spirit  of  your  mind,  and  that  ye  put  on 
the  new  man,  which  after  God  is  created  in 
righteousness  and  true  holiness." 

I  lay  musing  on  this  thought,  and  so  lost 

what  passed  next,  but  I  was  recalled  to  my 

215 


FRAGMENTS  IN  BASKETS 

friend  the  caterpillar  by  the  voice  of  Sister 
Blanche. 

"  Now,"  said  she,  "  I  must  show  you  a 
further  stage  of  our  development.  We  are 
not  always  thus,  doomed  to  only  a  partial 
exercise  of  our  powers.  Though,  as  I  have 
told  you,  every  change  as  it  comes  brings 
us  renewed  strength,  yet  we  are  sorely 
cramped  and  hindered  by  these  dull  grovel- 
ling bodies  which  tie  us  to  the  earth,  and 
we  all  look  forward  to  the  time  when  we 
shall  shuffle  off  this  tedious  frame,  and 
shall  be  able  to  expand  and  soar  to  regions 
of  life  which  we  cannot  now  reach.  Then 
we  shall  truly  live,  when  every  movement 
is  delight ;  when,  no  longer  tied  to  earth, 
we  shall  be  free  indeed." 

"  But  are  you  not  frightened  at  the 
thought  of  that  new  life  ?  " 

"  No,  indeed,"  was  the  reply  ;  "  we  long 
for  it.  It  is  our  one  desire  to  reach  that 
happy  state  of  being ;  iny  turn  will  soon 
come  now,"  she  said,  "  and  I  cannot  tell  you 
how  I  yearn  for  the  time  when  I  shall  put 
on  such  glorious  apparel,  and  shall  be  freed 
from  the  trammels  of  this  body.  Why,  all 
216 


WE   SHALL   ALL   BE   CHANGED 

my  senses  will  be  released  from  their 
imprisonment,  and  reach  fullest  perfection. 
Surely  you  can  feel  that  that  alone  is  an 
element  of  happiness.  But  you  speak  of  it 
as  a  new  life.  I  would  have  you  understand 
that  it  is  no  new  life  at  all  ;  it  is  the  same 
life  continued  under  different  conditions. 
All  the  present  is  a  preparation  for  it ; 
every  change  is  helping  to  form  that  body 
that  shall  be.  We  appear  to  die,  it  is  true 
but  it  is  only  outwardly ;  inwardly  the 
body  of  the  new  life  is  growing  from  day 
to  day.  But  come  and  see,  and  then  you 
will  understand  more  of  what  I  have  been 
saying  to  you." 

By  this  time  they  had  reached  their 
destination,  and  I  confess  my  curiosity  was 
aroused  as  to  what  new  "  change  "  was  to 
be  seen.  I  watched  my  two  friends  climb- 
ing up  the  rough  stalk  and  along  the  leaf 
until  they  came  upon  quite  a  colony  of  cater- 
pillars, all  of  whom,  I  observed,  had  very 
white  smooth  skins,  and  whom  I  judged, 
therefore,  to  be  quite  young.  They  seemed 
to  be  in  deep  grief,  and  I  gathered  that  these 

were   children  grieving  for    the   death  of 

217 


FRAGMENTS  IN  BASKETS 

their  mother.  They  took  Sister  Blanche 
and  Smoothskin  along  the  leaf  until  they 
came  to  some  fine  silky  substance  woven  in 
and  out  and  round  about  and  thickening 
towards  the  centre,  where  I  recognised 
what  I  knew  well  to  be  a  cocoon.  Sister 
Blanche  spoke  to  them  kindly,  telling  them 
not  to  grieve  for  their  mother.  "  You  call 
her  dead,"  said  she  ;  "  she  is  not  dead,  she  is 
only  resting.  If  you  understood  rightly, 
you  would  know  that  she  is  near  very 
great  happiness.  You  will  see  her  again, 
and  by-and-by  you  will  join  her  in  the 
regions  above.  She  will  come  forth  from 
the  darkness,  leaving  behind  her  the  old 
body,  which  has  only  been  a  covering  all 
this  time,  whilst  the  new  one  was  growing." 
Turning  to  Smoothskin,  she  added : 
"  Like  you,  poor  things,  they  are  young 
yet,  and  all  this  sounds  very  dreadful. 
When  you  have  lived  as  long  as  I  have, 
and  have  passed  from  change  to  change 
through  all  the  stages  of  life's  journey,  and 
have  cried  out  in  the  bitterness  of  each : 
'  Oh !  this  is  death,  this  must  be  death,' 

and  then  have  awoke  to  find  that  out  of 
218 


WE   SHALL  ALL  BE   CHANGED 

pain  was  born  new  power,  you  will  learn 
to  see  that  even  this  change,  which  seems 
so  different  and  so  much  greater,  is  yet  the 
same — only  another  step,  greater  perhaps 
because  a  final  one,  but  still  only  another 
step  on  the  way  to  life,  fullest,  perfect 
life." 

"  But  how  do  I  know,"  persisted  Smooth 
skin,  "that  this  change  will  end  for  me  in 
this  new  life  ?  " 

"  If  you  have  gone  through  all  these 
changes  of  which  I  have  been  speaking,  in 
the  fulness  of  time  you  will  put  on  this 
glorious  covering  of  golden  thread,  and  go 
fearlessly  into  the  darkness  and  silence 
from  out  of  which  the  joyful  awakening 
will  be  yours.  It  follows  as  surely  as  the 
dawn  succeeds  the  darkness.  It  is  only 
those,"  said  Sister  Blanche,  "  who  will  not 
learn  the  lesson  of  these  changes,  and  who 
are  too  careless  and  faithless  to  weave  the 
protecting  robe,  who  find  the  life  within  is 
chill  and  starved  for  want  of  nourishment, 
and  to  their  dismay,  when  the  time  comes 
to  fling  off  the  old,  discover  that  the  new  is 

yet  unformed." 

219 


FRAGMENTS  IN  BASKETS 

As  I  listened,  there  ran  through  my 
mind  the  echo  of  familiar  words  :  "  For  in 
this  we  groan,  earnestly  desiring  to  be 
clothed  upon  with  our  house  which  is  from 
heaven ;  "  "  Until  Christ  be  formed  in  you;" 
"  Who  shall  change  our  vile  body,  that  it 
may  be  fashioned  like  unto  His  glorious 
body." 

But  I  was  recalled  from  these  reflections 
by  the  voice  of.  my  caterpillar-friend  : 
"  Then  you  mean  to  say,  Sister,  that  all  my 
present  life  is  a  preparation  leading  up  to 
this  new  life,  and  that  I  need  not  dread  the 
strangeness,  because  there  will  be  formed 
within  me,  through  all  these  changes,  that 
new  body  which  will  be  fitted  to  enjoy  it  ? 
Well,  it  may  be  so,  and  I  am  prepared  to 
believe  it,  because  I  felt  something  within 
me  when  grandfather  spoke  which  told  me 
he  was  right.  I  don't  know  how  it  is.  I 
have  tried  not  to  believe,  and  to  persuade 
myself  that  the  change  was  too  great  to  be 
true ;  that  there  was  nothing  in  me  of 
aninity  with  the  glory  and  the  freedom  of 
the  butterfly  ;  and  yet  all  the  while  I  feel 
that  I  possess  powers  within  for  which 
220 


WE   SHALL  ALL  BE   CHANGED 

as  yet  I  have  no  scope,  powers  which  can- 
not end  with  this  creeping  earthly  exist- 
ence ;  and  now  you  have  shown  me  that 
from  day  to  day  these  are  growing  and 
developing,  and  gradually  forming  a  new 
body  for  the  new  life,  so  that  the  change 
itself  ceases  to  seem  wonderful — it  is  only 
the  dropping  off  of  the  old  and  the  re- 
leasing of  the  new — and  I  could  almost 
begin  to  long  for  that  happy  time  to 
come." 

The  sun  was  touching  the  horizon,  and  its 
bright  beams  smote  my  eyes  and  roused  me 
from  my  reverie.  I  still  lay  prone  upon  the 
grass.  The  fever  of  my  mind  had  left  me. 
Quietly  I  mused  on  what  I  had  heard.  A 
better  spirit  hnd  come  over  me,  and,  like 
the  caterpillar,  I  felt  within  me  that  death 
was  not  the  end  of  life.  It  might  not  be 
demonstrable,  but  there  was  much  that 
made  it  probable.  The  change  from  the 
grovelling  life  of  a  worm  to  the  glad  free- 
dom of  a  butterfly  was  surely  stupendous 
and  incredible,  and  yet  I  had  seen  that  it 
was  most  natural,  that  the  new  life  was 
being  formed  within  the  old,  that  the  death 

221 


FRAGMENTS  IN  BASKETS 

of  the  seed  meant  the  blossoming  of  fresh 
beauty. 

Added  to  this,  I  remembered  that 
nothing  in  nature  is  ever  lost  or  annihilated ; 
that  force,  when  it  appears  to  cease,  is 
merely  passing  in  disguise  ;  that  no  particle 
of  matter  ever  perishes,  and,  though  it  may 
disappear  beyond  reach  of  our  senses,  it  is 
but  to  reappear  in  some  other  form,  and  so 
from  age  to  age  to  do  its  Maker's  bidding. 
Then  why  not  I  ?  It  did  not  now  seem 
strange  to  me  to  contemplate  the  possibility 
of  a  life  beyond  the  present,  even  though 
made  up,  as  I  had  said,  of  elements  wholly 
different  from  those  surrounding  me  now, 
and  for  which  I  felt  myself  wholly  unfitted. 
1  was  content  to  trust. 

"  For  nothing  worthy  proving  can  be  proven, 
Nor  yet  disproven;   wherefore  thou  be  wise, 
Cleave  ever  to  the  sunnier  side  of  doubt, 
And  cling  to  Faith  beyond  the  forms  of  Faith," 

I  murmured  to  myself  as  I -slowly  wended 
my  way  homewards.  I  had  found  almost 
more  than  the  "  sunnier  side  of  doubt."  I 
had  reached  a  measure  of  conviction.  I 
perceived  that  the  Bible  and  science  were 

222 


WE   SHALL  ALL  BE   CHANGED 

not  so  irreconcilably  antagonistic  as  I  had 
thought,  and  I  confessed  that  a  future, 
which  meant  the  dropping  away  of  the 
limitations  against  which  I  was  now  in- 
clined to  fret,  might  not  be  without  its 
charm. 

I  returned  with  a  prayer  in  my  heart 
that  I  might  "  put  on  the  new  man,  which 
after  God  is  created  in  righteousness  and 
true  holiness," — content  in  the  humility 
which  is  born  of  truer,  deeper  faith,  to  wait 
through  all  the  puzzling,  unknown  dis- 
ciplines of  life  until  I  could  say  with  ful- 
ness of  conviction  :  "  I  will  greatly  rejoice 
in  the  Lord,  my  soul  shall  be  joyful  in  my 
God ;  for  He  hath  clothed  me  with  the 
garments  of  salvation,  He  hath  covered  mo 
with  the  robe  of  righteousness." 


,.U.S.S?.U.LH.!!?.N..?.EGIONAI-  LIBRARY  FACILITY 


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